If you are part of the digital nomad workforce, you know how hard it can be to motivate yourself to work when you could just as easily laze around the house or travel in a new country. If you are finding it challenging to focus on work when doing so remotely, follow these tips to fit more productivity into your day.

Find Your Workspace

It doesn’t matter if you’re travelling or working from home, it is important to create a workspace for yourself. It may be tempting to work from bed, but chances are you’ll become uncomfortable and tempted to slack off or take a nap. If at home, get yourself a desk in a quiet, well-lit area and a chair that will keep you supported and comfortable all day.

If you are travelling, see if your accommodation has a workspace. If not, cafés are great places to settle in and get work done. Co-working spaces are also great, especially for offering amenities like access to the internet, computers, and an office-like feel as others work in the same space. Once you have the proper tools and work environment, your productivity will soar.

Learn to Say No

Especially while travelling, there will be many opportunities and temptations to leave the room and go on an adventure. When working from home, it can be difficult to make friends and family understand that just because you are home does not mean you are off working hours. Let people know your work schedule and choose wisely the activities you want to do, leaving the rest so you can focus on work.

Routine

To get yourself into a working mindset, build a routine that gets you into the habit of working at specified times every day. Try waking up, starting work and taking breaks at the same times every day. This will train your mind to focus on the task at hand at that particular moment.

Routine also extends to what work you do and when. This will depend on your job, but working on the same thing at the same time every day will keep you on schedule and boost productivity. Maybe you will answer emails for the first half-hour of your workday, move on to writing proposals, and then start writing content in the afternoon. Whatever it is you do, break down the tasks of the day and schedule them into a routine.

This is not a flawless process, so try new tactics to improve your time management until you find something that works for you.

Unplug

Your work might require that you be on social media but be sure to log out of any accounts you are not dealing with at that specific moment. Having too much open and on the go will keep you distracted and losing out on productive work time.

Accountability

If you are the only one holding yourself accountable, it might be easy to let things slide. Try setting timers and deadlines for yourself, and if that doesn’t work, tell a friend or family member when you will have certain projects completed. Ask them to check in with you that they are being done. With someone else knowing your schedule, you may be less inclined to let deadlines slide.