5 Tips for Working from Home
Working from home has its perks, but it’s easy to feel unproductive or slow to get the day going. Having a routine and treating my day like I’m heading to a 9-5 really helps my focus and motivation. I’ve listed a few things that will help you go to work even without an office. Here are my 5 tips for working from home!
Dress Yo’self
If you work from home, you can easily be in your pajamas for 12 hours. Even though that’s a luxury other’s envy, it might actually be a hang up for ya. I am much more motivated, more confident, and more creative (yep) if I dress for the day. Now that might simply mean a matching workout outfit, but it’s the intentionality I’m talking about. I like to be prepared for a last minute errand or video call, or head to a coffee shop if I need a change of scenery. Plus, there’s a reason for the saying, “dress for success”. Take yourself seriously!
Set Hard Work Hours + Start at a Reasonable Time
If you’ve been around here, you know boundaries is one of my favorite things to encourage. Well, here I go again. A great way to keep your work from totally blending with your life is setting office hours and STICKING to them. (I would imagine this is even more crucial if you have kiddos.) Have designated office hours. When it’s cut off time, shut the door until the next business day. One way I hold myself accountable with business hours is starting at a normal “work time”–you know, with the rest of the world. If you don’t start until lunch, it’s a real bummer when your friends (who probably work 9-5) want to hang after work, but you haven’t finished your to-do list. Either work or relationships will suffer. Despite what works for you, create consistency in your work day.
Have a Designated Space
Create a space, whether that’s a spare bedroom or home office, where you can close the door. Even if you work from a laptop, having a designated space allows you to create a motivating environment without distractions. If you fully engage in your work, you’re more likely to fully engage in your LIFE once you shut down. You’ll feel accomplished after working without looking around and realizing you need to do the dishes…or clean up the living room…or change over laundry…
(Still trying to figure out the work environment for you? Here are some suggestions based on your personality type.)
Turn your Phone to Airplane Mode
Anyone else naturally reach for your phone if you’re stuck or pause for a second? It’s so easy to lose a train of thought when a text dings, or waste 30 minutes on who-knows-what if an IG notification pops up. Do yourself a favor and turn that ish offfff. Your productivity will surprise you when you allow your brain uninterrupted focused time.
Take a Proper Lunch Break
Don’t eat with your computer or take your food to your work space. Go sit outside, go to lunch with a friend, watch a show, allow yourself a proper break for your meal. By intentionally taking lunch breaks, you can eat a proper, thought-out meal, and not just grab a snack because you’re racing back to the grind. If you want to speed up your lunch time, here are lots of meal prep ideas!
Bonus: As we head into colder months, I leave a fluffy robe by my bedside. If I stay warm, I’m less tempted to crawl back in my warm bed while it’s still dark outside. I pop that bad boy on and stay cozy for my slow mornings.
Got tips for working from home for me? What helps you? Pop over to Instagram or leave a comment below!
[…] Set office hours and expectations around communication with both your clients and yourself. If you respond to emails at 8pm at night, your clients will expect you to be available at 8pm at night. Working in the evening happens sometimes. Use resources like boomerang for gmail to schedule emails for regular office hours. If someone sends you a text after hours, gently let them know you’ll get back to them first thing tomorrow once you get back to the office (side note, the “office” can be a coffee shop, your desk downstairs, or your couch). […]