Top Ten Summer Productivity Tips

This week's post comes from Sam Oliver a PhD researcher and is featured in our 'Work-Life Balance' advice centre:

At this time of year many of us will be visiting family or travelling but still need to get work done.

Here are some top tips to stay productive this summer.

1. Define your spaces; separate work from home. Have a room dedicated to working. Don't do it wherever you happen to be. Set aside some space so that when you enter it you know consciously what you're there to do: go to work. It changes the state of mind from "I'm at home" to "I'm at work".

2. Set regular hours, and stick to the schedule.

3. Don't work in your pyjamas. This is a key part of seperating work time from family / relaxing time.

4. Stay connected. Use the internet and online tools like communities and forums to stay in touch with the academic world and your colleagues. It will help you stay motivated.

5. Close the door. It'll be very easy to leave the door to whatever room or space you set apart to be your workplace open. Don't do it. If the door is open, that represents something to you, and to your family. To you, it represents the idea that if it's a bit tough, or you don't feel like working today, you don't have to. To your family, it represents the idea that you're around and accessible.

6. Don't stop working if it's a hard day. There'll be times when you haven't got any ideas, or just don't feel productive. But if it needs doing, then try and get at least something done. You'' thank yourself later that you did.

7. Take breaks. Don't be locked in the room all the time. For every hour you work, have a few minutes break. Give your mind time to digest what it's just done and hopefully make the most of any sunny spells, then come back. You'll improve the quality of what you produce a hundredfold.

8. Know when to stop. Don't work late into the night. Set defined times when you're going to work, and then when it passes, stop. You can have a bit of leeway here, but make sure that you don't end up letting work run your life when you're at home.

9. Involve your family. If they know a bit more about what you do, your schedule and the importance of getting some work done then they will support you.

10. Be grateful you're working from home. It's great that you have the flexibility to do this!