Notes On // Working from Home
Working from home
is quickly becoming the new norm around our country, and the world. And while it is a major adjustment for many, for me it’s business as usual. You see, I’ve been working and running my business from home for 8+ years. And before that, for the majority of my education, I was homeschooled. Suffice it to say I have a bit of practice when it comes to getting things done from within the confines of my home. I even credit the many years of home learning for allowing me to successfully transition into home working later in life. It taught me so many valuable lessons on concentrating, focus, routines, habits, schedules, and even dealing with social isolation, that I have continued to use to this day to successfully WFH.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m by no means perfect when it comes to working from home. I definitely bend the rules and I certainly don’t adhere to every single one of these tips, every single day. The flexibility of a WFH schedule is one of my favorite things about it, so you better believe I fully take advantage of that perk. However, I find that the more of these tips I follow, the more successful my work days are.
Below, I’m sharing 24 of my tips for working from home. Whether your WFH situation is temporary or permanent, I hope that the below tips and advice help you to be your most productive, efficient, successful self.
Have A WORK SPACE //
While I think it’s important to to have a desk or office, working from home can definitely make you a bit stir crazy so it’s important to find what works for you and have several areas you know you can work from (and ones you can’t). For me, I usually alternate between my office, my couch and my kitchen table, and outside if it’s nice enough, while avoiding the bedroom at all costs.
Set Your Schedule //
Plan your week out on Sunday afternoons, or first thing Monday mornings, so you can see what you need to achieve, goals you need to accomplish and have a plan of attack for how best to make everything happen.
Keep specific hours //
Outside of having a schedule, try your best to keep set hours {obviously dependent on deadlines and such} and don’t be afraid to add to those to your email signature and remind a client or boss to respect those.
Check Your To-Do List //
At the beginning of every morning check what’s on your schedule for the day ahead and at the end of every day, assess what you did and didn’t get done and plan your to-do list and schedule for the next day accordingly.
Set a Timer //
Give yourself time limits for tasks, otherwise you’ll just do them forever, especially with things like e-mails and social media. I also find that I tend to be more productive {barring a few tasks, such as writing} if I work for 30 minutes on one task, then step away for 5-10 minutes, then repeat, until the task is complete. You can use an app, or even the simple timer on your phone works for this {just keep your phone in airplane mode so as not to be distracted or disturbed by other things}.
Time Batch + BLOCK //
Batch together similar tasks for more efficiency, and then, when you’re setting up your day, block off time in your calendar based on those batched items.
Give Yourself a Proper Lunch //
Put down the phone, step away from the desk, grab a plate (no, not that paper one, an actual, hard, ceramic plate), assemble your lunch and enjoy every last bite of it!
Drink Water //
I know it sounds silly but being by yourself, it can be easy to get into, and stay in, a zone, which means one of the things you may forget about is consuming water. To help you, either set a reminder, use an app or keep a large water bottle at your side. I also like to make it a bit of a to-do list/game item {because I live for crossing things off} and find that that really helps me to achieve my water goals.
Set the Tone //
Set the tone of your day by getting your mind, body and spirit right; I like to do at least one thing for each area, think things that are going to get you focused, calm and energized; for my mind, that means no screen time and swapping news for a book, for my body that means movement, nutrition and supplements, for my spirit that means prayer, meditation, journaling, calming music and lighting a candle.
Have a pre-work routine //
Along with setting the tone for your day, make sure you have a routine and a bit of an order in which you set the tone. To get an idea of my own routine and how to structure yours, check out this post.
Light a Candle //
One of my favorite ways to set the tone is lighting a candle, especially ones with scents that are calming and comforting, like lavendar or, for me, woodsy/smoky scents.
Put on a Playlist //
Another one of my favorite ways to set the mood is putting on an appropriate playlist. For praying/meditating, concentration, writing and desk work, I like something calm and classical, like this one or this one. When I’m needing to pump myself up, take photos or do something else away from my desk, I like something a bit more energetic.
Have a nutritious breakfast //
Sometimes I’m not even hungry until almost 10am, but regardless of what time it is, I always make sure to have something, even just a small bite, that is nutritious. Usually it’s a smoothie or oats, but, depending on what I’m craving, sometimes it’s a rice cake with peanut butter, a handul of nuts, a hard boiled egg, yogurt with berries, etc. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just nutritious. This is also when I take my vitamins and supplements.
Change clothes //
I like to keep a healthy balance of dress up and dress down days, but whatever you do, you absolutely must change clothes and get out of your pajamas, even if it’s just changing into workout clothes or a cute little sweat set, even if you don’t do your hair or make-up (use this as a chance to give your skin a break from make-up and your hair a break from hot tools), you must change clothes. I would be lying if I said I got fully dressed every day, and honestly, having to not get dressed up is definitely one of the perks of working from home. I’d also be lying if I didn’t tell you that the days that I take the time to do my hair, make-up and put on a proper outfit I am the most productive and feel the most confident/take charge/on-top-of-things. To me, it’s all about balance.
KEEP IT NEAT //
Make sure your space is clean and organized. Outside of regular cleaning, I like to take 10 minutes at either the beginning or end of the day to tidy up and make sure anything I need for work is organized and accessible. A messy space creates a messy mind, and a messy mind is no good for working.
Get Movement //
Stretch, walk, workout, whatever you do, don’t forget to move. You can check out this post for moves you can do right at your desk, and Youtube also has some great workout videos, a few favorites which I’ve compiled here and here.
Take Breaks //
On that note, don’t forget to step away form your work regularly. Walk around the block, stretch, read a chapter of a book, make a cup of tea, whether it’s 5, 10 or even 15 minutes, it’s crucial to step away and give your body, your eyes, your mind a break, so that you can continue being focused, energized and productive. If you need some ideas on what to do, here are 35 ideas for things you can do in 5 minutes.
Only work on chores after work //
Don’t work on chores while you’re working. Think of it like this, if it’s not something you can do at a traditional office (i.e. wash clothes, load the dishwasher), then you shouldn’t be doing it while you’re working from home. However, I do make a few exceptions and think it is acceptable to do some simple things on a break, things like switching out loads of laundry, tidying up a room, putting a few clothes away, etc.
Get fresh air //
Fresh air is even more important when you’re spending the majority of your time inside, so step out as often as you can, whether it’s a quick walk before you start your day or on your lunch break, or you eat a meal outside, or you work from your balcony, or one of your breaks is tending to your plants, or even just opening a window. However you need to do it, just do it.
Be mindfully social //
While it is important to stay social, I think many people view working from home as “vacation” (Ha!) and take phone calls to chat with friends and family throughout the day. By all means, if it’s an emergency, obviously take the call. But otherwsie, try to save calls for breaks and, if possible, schedule them in as you would a work call. Talking to Grandma at 10am is sweet, but will do nothing for your productivity and to-do list.
Leave your phone aside //
With that in mind, keep your phone out of arms reach, or, better yet, in another room entirerly. It is such a distraction, time suck and will absoltuely wreak havoc on your productivity. Remember, you want to be creating, not consuming.
Don’t watch tv //
As tempting as it can be, resist turning the tv on, even for background noise. I occasionally break this rule and will treat myself to a show over lunch if I’m feeling particularly isolated, but most of the time, if I want to watch something, I try to make it something educational, like a Youtube tutorial or TED talk.
Have a Hobby //
When you work from home, work can quickly consume your entire life so, outside of setting dedicated work hours and work spaces, be sure to have hobbies and other things to look forward to. There will always be a to-do list and you will always be tempted to do “just one more thing” if you don’t give yourself activites outside of work. Some of my favorites include- baking, painting, drawing, reading, volunteering, looking at home design and knitting.
Be Flexible //
As with everything in life, remember to be flexible, adjust as needed and let go when things don’t go according to plan. Didn’t get dressed today? It’s ok. Decided to clean your home in the morning and work in the afternoon? Good for you. Didn’t get a workout out in until right before dinner? At least you still did it. Working from home can definitely have its perks, one of them being greater flexibility, so don’t be afraid to take advantage of that and cut yourself some slack when you don’t stick to your schedule or to-do list exactly.
