Pivot Marketing’s 4 Essential Work from Home Tips and Tricks

We asked our team: How do you stay productive working from home?

The rise of remote work has allowed people to maintain greater work life integration like never before. At Pivot, this is something we have embraced since our inception in 2019 (before Covid!). While working from home allows our team to manage their time how it works for them, there comes the question of how to stay motivated when you don’t have the confines of office life holding you accountable. 

We’ve asked our team how they effectively manage their workload and stay motivated and passionate about their work while working from home. Let’s dive in!

1. Have a designated work space - with a standing desk

   
   

Work from home allows you to grab your computer and work from your bed in pajamas, but don’t be fooled, this can have negative effects on your productivity and sleep schedule. Having a designated work area, away from your bed, helps your brain focus on the task at hand. Your mind and body will know that it’s time to work and get things done. 

Take notes from Laura, our incredible Director of Enrollment Support who has created

a beautiful work from home space built for efficiency: “Caffeine wakes me up, but my standing desk keeps me going. Alternating between sitting and standing is a nice way to get the blood flowing, reset, and keep me focused and productive.” Looking for more ways to stay motivated while working remotely? Get that standing desk!

2. Take breaks

Most things in life have pros and cons, and working from home is no exception. Take team connection, for example. When you’re at the office, taking short breaks to have small talk with coworkers is often a natural part of the day. While working remotely offers an incredible amount of flexibility, one downside is that casual moments of team connection may happen less frequently. At Pivot, we make sure our team stays connected by making time to “watercooler” throughout the week, whether that’s online at our team meetings, in-person at our Burlington, Vermont office, or a mix of both! 

Another downside to remote work is you might feel less inclined to take breaks due to a subconscious need to be available all the time. You might worry that if you miss a message from your boss because you took a break to wash the dishes, walk the dog, pick the kids up, etc, that they’ll think you’re slacking. Luckily, at Pivot, such a fear doesn’t exist! Our team knows we respect their time and trust them to get their work done. We value integrating our work lives with our personal lives, and we mean it! Taking breaks is important for work productivity, too. 

Our wonderful Digital Content Specialist, Katie, has a creative take on taking breaks: “I like to keep a notebook on hand to doodle. Studies show that doodling can enhance focus, memory, and creativity. When I need a break, doodling for a few minutes helps

me collect my thoughts.” 

What kind of breaks help you keep your mind sharp throughout the day? There are so many things we can do to refresh. Maybe doodling can be your thing, too.

3. Snacks are a must

Ever been in the middle of a project and feel like your brain just isn’t working? Yep, us too. Sometimes you’re so deep in your work, that you forget to eat!

Food is fuel for your brain, so having snacks on hand is an absolute must to keep you powered throughout the day. Our amazing founding partner, Becca, NEVER forgets the snacks: “When I'm WFH and kids are home too, I stock up on grab-and-go snacks. It keeps them happy (and me a little fueled up too!)”.

Make sure your snacks are packed with protein and nutrients to keep you going until you can step away to have a proper meal. Nuts, fruit, and hummus are some of our favorite go-tos! (And chips…

4. Bring the vibes

A designated space to work (with a standing desk, preferably), delicious, nutrient dense snacks, and time for breaks are all important elements of staying motivated and productive throughout the work day. Which is great! But shouldn’t work be enjoyable, too? That’s where Pivot’s value of joy, and the vibes, come in. 

“I stay motivated working from home thanks to my feline coworkers. Their productivity is questionable, but their presence keeps my mood up and my stress down,” says Ali, our favorite 

Web Associate. Pets are an excellent way to bring joy into your work day, and is definitely a top perk of remote work life. 

Another perk is being able to pick the soundtrack for your day. “My go-to playlist on Pandora, Coffee House Radio, keeps me awake, focused, and motivated!” says Wendy, our spectacular HR & Operations Support. Music is the perfect way to keep the vibes up throughout the work day. Your space, your playlist!

Ready to build your work from home space?

Now that we’ve shared our top work from home tips and tricks, we want to hear yours! Or tell us which of our tips you're going to be more mindful of to stay productive while working from home. Let us know below in the comments!