How to be productive while working from a coffee shop
Working from “home” isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The New York Times reports that almost 30% of professionals in the U.S. are working from home. I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine going back into an office full time — it’s probably because I love being in my own space and have two puppies.
But besides working from home, I also like to work from a coffee shop at least once a week. Here’s why…
Getting out of my comfort zone (a couple times a week) gives me so much inspiration.
I find other things to do at home instead of working — laundry, dishes, reorganizing my closet…
My dogs distract me, and I let them (how do you say no?!)
While on my starting-my-own-business journey and finding vibey coffee shops to work from, I’ve noticed that I’m not always focused and productive. Although sometimes I focus more at coffee shops, it’s also easy to get distracted and leave feeling like you got nothing done.
Here are a few tips on how to be productive while working from a coffee shop:
Get your coffee right away.
This might seem obvious, but sometimes when there’s a line in the coffee shop, I go sit down right away and set up my space. That then leads to responding to some emails, looking at Instagram, or finding something else unproductive to do. That’s why I always get my coffee (and sometimes a snack) first. I might put my bag down to claim a spot, but I don’t start any work before I get my coffee and can sit down to focus.
Sit in a quiet spot.
Depending on the coffee shop, it could be full of people talking and on calls — or it could be completely silent…usually it’s a mix. If the space allows, I like to find a spot in a corner away from others. If you’re like me, you get distracted by people watching. Coffee shops are fun, but you need to get in the zone!
Set goals before you go.
This is probably the most important tip: Set your goals before you go to a coffee shop. A little trick I love is writing out the tasks I want to complete, then “scheduling” by adding them to my calendar. You can also put together a task list in a project management tool so you can check them off your list one at a time.
Listen to calming music.
If I don’t have a headset on, I’m going to get distracted. That’s why I make sure to charge my Airpods so I can put some calming music on. Side note: I definitely forgot to charge them and they ran out of battery literally as I’m writing this.
One of my favorite playlists to listen to is “Chill” on Apple Music or Spotify. They usually have at least one incredible playlist, but the songs are all instrumental while being modern and upbeat to listen to.
Don’t schedule any meetings.
This is one of my rules for planning a coffee shop day. For one, it could be super loud in the background, so that’s not an ideal situation for business meetings. Two, I like to get in the zone — 1000%. If I can, I’ll block my schedule for my coffee shop day(s).
I also like to stay off my email. I check it from time to time if I’m in a coffee shop for a few hours, but it’s easy to get distracted when you have to reply to emails, send attachments, or start a new project.
By planning ahead and setting goals, cutting out distractions, and limiting calls and emails, you’ll have an even more successful day working in a fun space!
Live in Colorado? Here are a few of my favorite coffee shops in Denver.
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