If there is one thing I know about, it's working from home. I've now been working this way for 4 years, both whilst I was employed and now running my own company. If you too have your own business or are working a flexi-hour job, you will know that working from home really isn't as easy as it sounds.
If you have just started working from home, this is for you. If you already do then hopefully you can relate! I'd be really interested to hear your opinions on this and what works for you!
image via Pintrest
1. Separate work and home (even if they are physically the same location)
Yes, you're working from home, but I advise you to try and separate off parts of your home as 'work spaces', at least in your mind and behaviour.
Don't panic.. I'm not talking about building walls or taping off your lounge.
Try to avoid working from the sofa, bed or places where you would usually relax.
Ideally, identify one of the rooms as your working space - somewhere with a desk, or hard surface, and natural light. You can make it your own creative haven. We don't all have the luxury of a home office or even a whole room we can separate off for ourselves - but don't worry. Perhaps you could convert a kitchen counter or a dining room table into a work space - at least during daylight hours.
image via: https://inspirahogar.com/
Working conditions are key, so it’s important that you make this room as comforting and appealing to be in as possible. As you'll be spending a hell of a lot of time there, you might as well make it a space you actually want to be in. Get a comfy chair with a cushion, get some plants, maybe a coffee machine, plenty of water etc. If the room looks bare and boring you'll feel like you're boxing yourself in and resent spending time there - especially when your comfy bed is within rolling-distance. Get used to only doing work in that work space.
Mental differentiation between work and living space is key and I can't stress this enough.
As first it might not feel like a huge deal, but if you don't make this distinction, the more time you spend at home, the more you will feel the frustration with only having one space in which you live and work.
If you slip up and have the occasional day on the sofa - you can earmark it as a one off or a treat. Or perhaps you have particular work which you do from bed or on the sofa. For example if i’m writing an article, I prefer to be on my sofa, feet up on my comfy pouffe, maybe a hot tea and some snacks, Drake on Spotify. You get the picture. I also like to have client calls on the sofa because I approach the calls in a more relaxed way.
2. Get out of the house
Home may be your main work space, but I would suggest devising a schedule of when to leave the house.
Just because you're 'working from home' it doesn't mean you have to be inside your house. I take home as meaning 'not an office'. By limiting your time spent at home, you look forward to getting home in the evenings, as you normally would after working in an office all day, as opposed to being bored from spending all day there. Also it means home is a novelty and you'll appreciate the days you do work from home.
For example, for my schedule, Monday, Wednesday and Friday I work from a coffee shop.
Being in a shared working space or public space has all kinds of links to productivity. I think a large part of this is to do with social awareness, you know people are aware of your presence in the coffee shop, and the space you occupy, and if you just sat there picking your nails for 25 minutes it might look a bit strange.
People see you. You know they see you. That is often enough to keep you working.
beautiful cafe inspiration via Pinterest
I would even suggest picking a few coffee shops, one each day you plan to go out.
I have a list of all the cafes I want to explore. Each week I will go to a new location to work. Keeping it fresh keeps me inspired.
Also it's useful to pick a start time, something realistic that allows you to have enough sleep.
The more structure you can give your day the better. I know the one of the flexibilities of having your own business or working from home is that you don't have to work to a rigid time structure, so find a working schedule that works for you. It doesnt need to be 9am - 5pm. Spend some time figuring out which hours you work best. In terms of productivity, I find that working at set hours keeps me on track.
For out of the house spots I recommend, cafes, quiet bars, museums, libraries and co-working spaces. Wherever you choose, just make sure you pick somewhere beautiful that keeps you inspired. Remember, you have the flexibility to work wherever you want to!
3. Schedule in life
One good thing about working in an office with strict working hours, is not just that it provides you with a guideline on when you should be working, but it also allows you a guideline for when it's ok NOT to work. Sometimes when you work from home you may end up working long beyond the hours you have set for yourself.
There's a reason office jobs aren't contracted to 18 hours per day, 7 days a week. So don't expect to push yourself to the extremes, just because you're setting your own guidelines.
One good way around this is building out your week with enough enjoyment and enough motivation to stimulate your working hours.
Parkinson's Law. I've mentioned this one before:
"Parkinson's Law: the notion that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."
Meaning: The less time you have to do something, the more effective you will be in getting it done. So being busy is better! (@ingaaa you were just talking about this yesterday!)
If your plan is to work from home 7 days a week and do not much else, there's always this 'get out' of just watching a film and putting all your work off.
But if you know you're working out of the house 3 days and week and you have classes booked in, friends to see and life plans, you'll have less time to mess around.
The basic idea is, the more structure and frameworks you have in place, the fewer things you are likely to put off until later, because later you are doing something else.
image via: http://vidyaliving.com
Exercise is key to motivation. Along with scheduling in your work hours and social activities, make sure you schedule in a work-out when possible. I schedule work-outs on days I am least motivated because it gives me the surge of energy I need to push me through those days I dislike (Tuesdays and Thursdays i'm looking at you).
The endorphins will make you feel energised and great about yourself.
Human interaction is terribly important, so make sure you're getting enough of it, but don't forget to schedule in some time with just yourself. It's crucial and the one piece of advice I had received before starting my own business. You can read more in my previous article about Crafting Time Out For You.
4. Input is directly proportionate to output
I'm talking about eating and energy. Try to eat healthy for most of the time because you need the energy you get from real foods. Find a sleep pattern that works for you. It doesn't need to be 8 hours a night necessarily, but whatever it is make sure it's regular and it's enough sleep so that you feel rested. I recommend getting a fitbit or some other tracking devise to track your sleep.
image via Pintrest
The way you treat your body is directly related to productivity and output. So if you've been drowning yourself in pizza and beer all weekend, don't expect an engaged mind on the Monday morning. Get into a regular, healthy pattern. Everything in moderation and don't be too hard on yourself. Then when you do go all on out and indulge, your body and mind will be strong enough and healthy enough to overcome it. My general tips for well being are:
eat right, drink your water, sleep enough
But more on sleeping another time.
5. Don't be too hard on yourself
The most important point of all. Don't punish yourself.
In an office, people do not work 5 days a week solidly without interruption or distraction so don't expect yourself to do the same. Make sure you're taking regular breaks and seeing enough daylight. Set yourself realistic goals for each day and write a lot of lists to sort through what needs doing and what is done. The act of physically ticking something off a list is a healthy way of honoring accomplishment and a simple and effective motivation tool.
If I am supposed to be working, but I find i'm too distracted and can't focus I simply will not work. I will do something else, anything else that I enjoy. Maybe i'll go for a walk or have a work-out instead. Then when I feel in a better headspace I will come back and work. It's not healthy to sit in front of a screen and punish yourself into working if you're not actually doing anything. This is a bad habit we learn from working in offices: 'sit in front of the screen until the boss frees you'. Sure, try and motivate yourself into working, but understand that sometimes you just cannot focus when the clock tells you to, for a variety of reasons.
image via http://kkdas.tumblr.com
So to round up, figure out what works for you and make a plan. Don't worry if you don't stick rigidly to it, as with everything, one step at a time. Social life and crafting time out for yourself are both just important as work life, when you want to work effectively from home. I really recommend making a solid non-work plan because otherwise you'll get bored, unmotivated and emotional. So find a yoga club, football club, fitness class, dog walking club or something to keep you socially engaged with other humans. Also remember to take some time alone where you do something you enjoy, to make your work space an enjoyable place to be and if for some reason you cannot work when the clock says it's 'work time'.. don't.
Great tips. Separating work and home was very hard in teh beginning but we found a great balance and break up our working day by going to the gym. Steem on!
That's great. I'm glad to hear you found a balance. In the end, that's what it's all about!
I gotta say... I absolutely agree with all of these, and don't do any of them!
In fact, I even recently moved my desk back out to the room next to my lounge, as it's a bit more spacious and has a better view out the window behind my monitors (rather than staring at a wall when I need to think)
I think over the past year the one I've come to realise is most important is scheduling social time. Way too often I find myself thinking "Ugh, I really want to get this done by tomorrow.. I can see my friends another time".. and even cancelling last minute, or not attending events I've RSVP'ed for.
When you work for yourself, from home, there's a huge risk of becoming a hermit, so scheduling time for seeing friends, and just getting away from work, is so important. (Plus, you can still do most of your business stuff from your phone heh)
Also, you forgot one:
6. Dogs in the office are amazing
Ross, thanks for taking the time to write such an awesome comment. I totally agree with you! Becoming a hermit makes me miserable and happens all too often.
Dogs. Now dogs are key. Thank you.
I often work from home, even though I have a warehouse and office. I find that working from home for more than a day to be a chore. I mean, one day I can focus on work. More than a day and there are too many distractions. Getting out of the house is the best way for me to re-focus.
I have one friend who is a coder, he goes to Star Bucks ever day. I can't imagine how he focuses. I can work in a coffee shop for creative ideas since I just let my mind flow. But for calculations or other applied work, I need quiet.
Hey Steven, maybe this could be the Parkinson's Law I mentioned in the post? Sometimes when i'm not doing enough things I have time to be distracted.
Agree with all of this for sure! I have worked from home for 14 years for a corporation. I am fortunate enough to have a home office where I can truly separate my work space. Something I have found helpful is a variety of chairs. I have a balance ball chair, an ergonomic kneeling chair and a regular comfy office chair and a lounger. Depending on what I’m doing or how I’m feeling, the change of chair and posture can totally change my mind set and motivation. Cheers to working from home!
14 years!!! Wow you are the expert here, in that case! I LOVE the idea of different chairs. Thanks for your awesome input! :-)
i always have the same thoughts how can i mange work with my home but u gave me such good tricks that i will now surely work on same scenarios..
This is great! I'm so happy I could help! :-)
Thank you so much! I started working from home when I got sick and this year I started to work from home daily. Thank you for the tips. I just got a 2ndHand work desk to make my workspace more enjoyable.
I will incorporate more of your tips for sure. I'll let you know how it worked out.
So happy to hear this was useful for you, lovely :-)
Great post, Yas. And can imagine super helpful for so many who work from home. I could definitely relate to some of this stuff even though I only work from home once or twice a week.
What you say about separating areas at home for work from pleasure is 100% true. There are days where I'm lazying on a couch and just can't get things going vs. days where I sit at my kitchen counter/bar and forget to even have lunch!
Also agree and relate to point 5: if you JUST can't get motivated - don't push it. Go and do something else. Something that I actually witness at my work as well, when sometimes either me or even my boss can't focus so instead of sitting around/wasting time - we agree to finish earlier, go to a pub for a pint and either start earlier tomorrow or catch up on stuff over the weekend.
Great tips! Keep it up you #sbo ;-)
Thanks for this awesome comment. Really appreciate your feedback! So happy you can relate to some of it!
Hello @yasminep, your so true. I usually start at home around 7:30 in the morning and after traffic jam I would go to work. This already saves me about 30-45 minutes of time sitting in my car (although it is a relaxed car :), and I like to listen to the radio) which I can spend on work.
Every Friday I fully work from home as it is my Daddy day and I work and take care of our little baby. I am very grateful that my employer gives me this freedom and I think more employers should do so. THis saves a lot of time spending in traffic jams and let say you work one day from home, your footprint on the environment is also in most cases less, because it saves me a 100km drive in a poluting car (although I have a hybrid).
Love to read more on your blogs, keep up the good work!
Hey! Thanks for taking the time to write this comment. A Daddy Day sounds great! That's brilliant your company gives you that flexibility. :-) And yes! Better on the environment too. Thanks for the support and positivity! I'll be checking out your account.
People often struggle to get into "the zone" when working from home and you give some great tips here - visiting coffee shops is a favourite of mine!
On the point about not being too hard on yourself, I think you're absolutely right - people forget how much time they wasted when working in an office environment e.g. commuting, "water-cooler chats" and .... endless meetings!!!
It's not for everyone, but the ability to work from home/on-the-move is going to become more prevalent and will be a useful skill to hone :)
Steve, I totally agree with you! Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and comment. Great to hear your views :-)
Lovely article @yasminep
Yasmine, thanks for a great post! I have just realized that I really need to move from my sofa where I often work.
Idea about changing coffee shops works great for me because some of ht e places around have great sandwiches and other have better desserts:) But on days when I have to be very productive I go to the library, it works the best for me.
Thanks again for your time writing this. Keep it up:)
Hey Max! Thanks for taking the time to comment. Make the most of those sandwiches! Really try to enjoy yourself whilst you're working!
Its always important to find that balance and it sounds like you have!
Ah yes so important. It takes time and need to be constantly maintained, but yes I think so :-)
Take a break by going out is a pretty good advice as well as proper scheduling of tasks. Another important thing is to enjoy what you are doing. Thank you for this post. Reminds the reader about things he might have forgotten when working at home.
Thank you. I really appreciate your comment :-)
The best advice is to work from the coffee shops. If you really need just your laptop to work so it is more productive to change the environment. It gives me more desire to work
Yeah I agree! That works for me too!
My business give me opportunity to do work at home, but I always try to go out. Coffee shop or hotel lobby it's my favourite places. That give me better focus and effective ;)
Oh yes! Hotel lobby is a good one! :-)
Working from home is my dream and I am actually on the pathway, so thanks for the useful tips! I hear you on Tuesday's and Thursday's for exercise. I do yoga and Zumba on those days. It is necessary to get out and clear the mind from the busy schedule. As I've said before, it's all about keeping balance!
Oh that's awesome, Jessica. Are you looking to have more of a flexi-hour job, or start your own business?
Yes, I always need to get out and clear my mind. Balance is everything.
I'm looking into having my own business. However, I haven't exactly decided what yet. I am thinking maybe wedding planning or digital marketing...For the moment I am focusing on creating a Blog and improving my writing skills. One day at a time!
Good for you! Exactly, just take your time :-) Rushing it will only cause you more stress. A wedding planning business would be awesome!!
Great tips! I would love a the flexibility of a couple of work from home days in my work week. I am all about balance. If I did solely work form home, I would probably look into one of those community work spaces to go to a couple of days out of the week as well. Socializing and teamwork are great tools :)
Totally agree with you! I love co-working spaces and being around like minded people.
Thank you so much for sharing your survival guide for working from home! Admittedly, I have been struggling with this for the past few months especially due to my hectic schedule (family and work commitments often clash together).. After reading your post, I believe I have a clearer picture in mind as to how to move forward with this. Thank you @yasminep, and keep steeming!!
I'm so happy to hear that, Aaron. Hopefully you will be able to get back in the zone soon. Thanks for commenting, love to hear what you think.
I like your post.. God job frend
Thank you. I appreciate it :-)
Great article and insight into creating a productive 'work from home' lifestyle. I've been working from home for a number of years, and have always loved the flexibility that it provides. It's become increasingly difficult the last couple years as I now have a 2 year old daughter and a 3 month old who are a big distraction throughout the day. Working to get back into somewhat of a regular schedule/routine. We'll see how it goes.
I can imagine that is really tough. I guess it's about finding a new balance when your circumstances change. Wishing you the best of luck finding that! Would love to read more about how you manage it.
Thanks! I'll try to share some additional thoughts and insight in a blog post next month. I love being an entrepreneur and the flexibility it offers, but it's definitely not without challenges. I look forward to following your content. Cheers.
Please do share that and also use the hashtag #sbo for Small Business Owners. Trying to create a community of likeminded thinkers!
Thanks, I'll be sure to do that. I always enjoy hearing stories from other like-minded entrepreneurs and business owners. Have a great week. Cheers.
working from home its freedom
I agree. If you get it right that is :-)
Can totally resonate with your points @yasminep. Working at home takes discipline but not impossible ! For me, I’ll just have to avoid taking too many naps in between haha
Haha yeah once you start napping.. you can't stop! Although apparently there are lost of benefits of napping!