8 Realistic Tips for Time Management When Working from Home

8 Realistic Tips for Time Management When Working from Home Common time management challenges for remote workers Time management tips for working from home 1. Work with your energy, not against it 2. Create an environment that promotes productivity 3. Make a work-from-home schedule 4. Plan your calendar with intention 5. Structure your time to minimize distractions 6. Be transparent with your manager 7. Set work-life boundaries that work for you 8. Break out of the home office bubble

Common time management challenges for remote workers

Working from home comes with plenty of perks, but it also introduces unique challenges that can disrupt your routine if you don’t know how to be productive at home.

Lack of structure

Without a daily commute or scheduled office hours, it’s easy for your day to blur together. Remote workers often struggle to define clear start and end times, which can throw off productivity.

Distractions

Whether it’s pets, family members or that pile of laundry, home-based distractions are everywhere. These interruptions can chip away at your focus and make it harder to complete tasks efficiently.

Overworking

Remote workers often log longer hours than in-office peers. Without natural breaks like coffee chats or commutes, it’s easy to work past your limits, leading to burnout over time.

Underperforming

On the flip side, some workers find it challenging to stay motivated without the structure and energy of a physical workplace. While autonomy is great, it can result in missed deadlines or unclear priorities without effective self-manage ment.

Time management tips for working from home

Here are eight working from home tips to help you stay focused and make better use of your time.

1. Work with your energy, not against it

Time management isn’t just about packing more into your day, it’s about working smarter during the hours you’re naturally most productive. Everyone has different energy “windows.” Pay attention to when you feel most alert and creative and, if possible, structure your day around those times.

Identify your energy peaks

Schedule high-focus work (like writing, problem-solving or deep thinking) during your peak hours. Save admin tasks, emails or meetings for energy dips.

Coordinate your schedule at home

If you share a space with a partner or family, try to plan ahead

Decide who’s working where and when

Assign household or childcare duties

Write it down: use a shared calendar or post it on the fridge

Use a prioritization system

Being busy doesn’t always mean being productive. Try one of these techniques to structure your day:

Pomodoro technique—Focus in 25-minute sprints with short breaks

Time blocking—Set aside chunks of time for specific tasks

Eisenhower Matrix—Prioritize based on urgency and importance

Explore more tips for working from home and staying productive, wherever you work.

2. Create an environment that promotes productivity

Your environment sends powerful signals to your brain. If you’re trying to work where you usually relax, it can be tough to stay focused or unwind after hours.

Create dedicated zones in your home for different activities. For example:

Use your desk for work only

Reserve the kitchen table for meals or kids’ homework

Keep the couch for downtime

Even if you’re working with limited space, simple cues, like sitting at a table instead of the couch, can help you mentally shift into work mode and stay productive. Consistency is key to reinforcing those boundaries.

3. Make a work-from-home schedule

Figuring out how to be productive at home requires more self-discipline. Building a consistent routine helps you stay focused, productive and in control of your time. Creating structure doesn’t mean rigid scheduling, it means building a rhythm that works for you and helps you stay consistent.

Dress like you mean business

You don’t need to wear a suit, but changing out of pajamas signals that it’s time to be productive. Wearing something you’d feel comfortable stepping outside in can shift your mindset and help set boundaries between work and home life.

Prioritize your day

Make a to-do list or use a task management app

Tackle high-priority or high-focus tasks first

Leave room for breaks and flexibility

Track your time

Use a timer or time-tracking app to stay focused during work blocks. This will help you stay accountable and keep you aware of how your time is being spent. Even if you don’t do this every day, trying it for a week can be helpful to gauge where your time is going. Building this kind of rhythm is a key part of successful time management for remote workers.

4. Plan your calendar with intention

When you work from home, your time can disappear quickly, especially with frequent interruptions or an unpredictable schedule. It’s important to take control of your calendar and plan your day with purpose.

Make time for breaks

Just like you would in an office, schedule short breaks throughout the day. Treat them like meetings: block them on your calendar, set reminders, and step away, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. Take a walk, stretch or chat with your at-home “coworkers” (e.g., your family, roommates or pets).

Acknowledge fragmented time

Caregiving, parenting or simply living in a busy household can lead to “fragmented time”: those choppy hours filled with frequent stops and starts. Rather than fighting it, plan around it.

Try windowed work

If your role allows, experiment with “windowed work”—scheduling focused work blocks around your life instead of forcing a 9-to-5 structure. For example:

7:30–8:30 a.m.—Morning ramp-up: coffee, check email, review calendar and set key priorities

8:30–10:45 a.m.—Focus window: uninterrupted deep work (creative, strategic, or writing tasks)

10:45–11:00 a.m.—Recharge: short walk, light snack, stretch

11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.—Collaborative window: team standups, 1:1s, async check-ins

12:30–2:00 p.m.—Personal window: lunch, childcare pickup, appointments, errands

2:00–4:00 p.m.—Second focus window: project work or client deliverables

4:00–5:30 p.m.—Low-energy admin: inbox, updates, documentation, planning next day, log out with intention

Read our post on how to avoid common video meeting faux pas.

5. Structure your time to minimize distractions

One of the most valuable tips for working from home is learning how to structure your day to reduce distractions and stay focused. Trying to rely on willpower alone to stay off social media or ignore notifications can be exhausting and often ineffective. The better strategy? Build structure into your day to make distractions less tempting.

Remove temptation

Log out of social media accounts during work hours and consider using a private or incognito browser so sites don’t auto login. You can also remove shortcuts from your toolbar or phone to reduce the urge to “just check quickly.”

Block focus time

Schedule blocks of uninterrupted work on your calendar, and let others know when you're unavailable. To minimize distractions, some professionals turn off Wi-Fi during deep work sessions to avoid those tempting pings and pop-ups.

Add a margin between tasks

Instead of stacking meetings or tasks, leave a few minutes in between to reset. Even a 5–10-minute pause can help you collect your thoughts and prevent mental fatigue from building up.

Knowing when and how you work best is key to remote success—these five strategies can help you stand out.

6. Be transparent with your manager

Remote work gives you the flexibility to structure your day in ways that suit your life, but that doesn’t mean you should go it alone. Whether you’re working around family obligations, using a “windowed work” schedule or finding you’re more productive outside the standard 9-to-5, it’s important to keep your manager in the loop.

Set clear expectations

Talk openly with your manager about your availability and preferred working hours. If your most productive time is early morning or late evening, let them know. Be upfront about your schedule to help prevent confusion and ensure your team knows when they can reach you.

Align your calendar and task list

It’s easy to over-commit when your calendar only reflects meetings and calls. To better understand your capacity, block time on your calendar for individual tasks. This provides a clearer picture of your workload and helps you make more informed decisions before taking on new projects.

Take ownership

Transparency is more than just flagging conflicts, it’s also about demonstrating that you’re actively managing your time, staying accountable and working toward shared goals. When your manager sees that you’re organized, it reinforces that you know how to be productive at home while staying aligned with team goals. See how asking for feedback can power your career development.

7. Set work-life boundaries that work for you

When your home doubles as your office, it’s easy for work to bleed into your personal time. To protect your downtime, create clear cues that your day is done: log off, shut down your computer and silence work-related notifications.

If possible, keep your workspace separate from where you relax, and consider adding your work hours to your email signature or status to help set expectations with colleagues. Boundaries look different for everyone, so find the routine that helps you fully unplug.

8. Break out of the home office bubble

If your home office is starting to feel stale, it might be time for a change of scenery. Where you work can have a big impact on how energized and focused you feel throughout the day.

Try working from a local café, library, co-working space, or even set up a temporary workspace on your patio or balcony. These “third spaces” are great for breaking up the monotony and giving your brain a reset.

Bonus: A change in environment can also help combat screen fatigue or that mid-afternoon slump, and it’s one of the more underrated working-from-home tips.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all formula, these tips for working from home can help you build a routine that fits your needs. From aligning your tasks with your natural energy to creating boundaries that protect your personal time, effective time management starts with intention and self-awareness.

Try out a few of these tips and see what sticks. With the right structure in place, working from home can be just as productive—if not more so—than being in an office.