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By: Suzanne Kvilhaug

Have you ever finished work and felt like the next thing you knew it was time to go to sleep and you didn’t get one thing done at home? Yeah, me neither (wink) but it can happen to the best of us.

Whether you’re working at an office or working remotely, falling into bad or lazy habits once you get home or finish work can sabotage your long-term goals, your health, and even your happiness. So, instead of existing on autopilot once the bulk of your day is over, here are 8 things you can do as soon as you get home to be more productive.

Exercise right away

It seems like the majority of people prefer exercising early on in the day but doing it towards the end of the day has its perks. You know that period right when you get home and you’re sort of out of it? It’s easy to start a marathon on TV, fall asleep on the couch or spend the rest of the night doing random Google searches (At what age do people start to get gray hair? Can I take yoga if I can’t even come close to touching my toes?).

One of the easiest ways to get into a home-based exercise routine is by using a workout streaming service like OpenFit. You can pick the kind of exercise that feels right for the day and you don’t have to worry about going to the gym. By exercising right when you get home you keep any of that from happening. Plus it will leave you feeling decompressed, energized, and happier for the rest of the night.

Meal prep

A little meal prepping and planning here and there can go a long way. Instead of doing it all one day of the week, spread it out. By doing this, the food will be fresher and you can choose things based on your current mood. So some days when you get home, throw something in the oven, stop at the store for a few things, or prep for the next few days. You’ll get in the hang of it and you won’t have any more of those frustrating “I have absolutely nothing” moments staring at an empty refrigerator with an even emptier stomach.

If meal-prepping for the days ahead feels like a big ask, then try “only” prepping your meal for the night. But start right away when you get in. If you settle into the sofa before dinner, you’re likely to stay there and the longer you’re comfortable the more appealing less-healthy dinner options become. You can also get a little extra help in the meal department from a meal delivery service like SunBasket or Freshology. Both offer healthy meals that are ready in minutes so you can focus on another one of the activities on this list.

Clean up a little bit

Dust bunnies are ruthless. Sick of spending the weekend getting things tidy? Cleaning more often in short bursts means you won’t have to do that. Just start with a small goal like straightening up the bedroom, cleaning out the pantry, or doing a load of laundry. You can even set a small goal like getting as much as you can be done in 20 minutes before getting on with your night. You’ll be surprised how much it lightens your load for the weekend. Looking for eco-friendly cleaning ideas? Check these ones out.

Become a bookworm

I can’t help but think of how many great books there are out there that I haven’t read yet. And I can’t help but wonder when do people find the time to read all of these great books? I always think of reading as something to do at night or by the pool but maybe people who have read a lot do it during unlikely times like right when they get home from work. If sitting down to read at the end of the day means you might get sucked into a book and not get anything else done (it’s a risk if the book is good!) try putting on an Audiobook while you meal prep or clean.

Declutter your virtual world

One of my favorite shoe stores was sending me approximately 4 emails a day to let me know what shoes are in style, what’s on sale, what’s going to be trending later on in the season, and what celebrity was wearing a certain pair that I *MUST* have. I finally thought enough is enough but when I went to unsubscribe the best option I could find was “you can hear from us less!” so now I get only about 2 per day.

Having a flooded inbox all day can get annoying! Not to mention all the space things take up in your inbox. Getting a bunch of emails and messages that don’t even matter to you can take up unnecessary mind space and time. Since we spend so much time in a virtual world, making time to keep it unclogged to keep it running smoothly can make us feel so much better. More GB = more happiness. So every day when you get home put a few minutes into clearing out your inbox, responding to unanswered texts, and clearing out notifications so you can enjoy your night free from digital clutter.

Work on an organizational project

Start chipping away at organizational projects. If you’re not an organizational expert, there are likely many areas in your space that can use some work. Plus some of the “hacks” look kind of fun, like finding a new way to organize your scarves, jewelry, or kitchen cabinets. Even if you just do one small project like straightening up your spice rack you can sit down and relax for the evening knowing you got something useful done. Never underestimate the joy a color-coded project can bring or the sense of peace that a minimalistic environment can bring.

Take an online class

No matter what it is you want to learn, there’s a class for that. If you’ve been thinking of going back to school or picking up a new skill, you’ll find it online. And you don’t have to dedicate your whole night to learning after a long day of work. For example, you can start learning a new language in just 30 minutes a day. Whether you’re learning goals are for personal or professional reasons, you never know what you might stumble upon and what learning something new could lead to.

Build a meditation practice

Ommmmmmm. Meditation helps to reduce stress, lengthens attention span, and improves sleep. A lot of people wish they meditated but usually the reason they don’t is that they can’t find the time. How about when you get home after a long day? I can’t think of a more fitting time to start building a meditation practice. Even just 15 minutes of meditation can help you relax and transition from day to night.

If it takes some time to become more productive at first, stick with it.

Research varies on how long it can take to change habits but it can be anywhere from 18 to 254 days with an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic.

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