10 Tips For Working From Home
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts”
Working from home isn’t always easy. Some have it easier than others, some definitely have it more difficult (kids, pets, roommates etc.), but if you’re coming across this article then we have some good news….we have ten tips that are designed to help you stay focused, efficient and feeling good. Part of the key is to take breaks often, don’t be too hard on yourself, get outside and of course - socialize!
Let’s get to ‘em, but if you have any other tips, feel free to leave them down below in a comment. Let us know which ones resonate most with you.
Work regular hours
Most importantly, you have to work regular hours. You have to do what needs to be done - and it’s going to help you stay focused, on the ball, and making the most of your time. Whether that’s 7-3, 8-4 or 9-5 - figure out your most productive hours and center your day on that. Make sure to communicate these hours to your time so they know when to reach out to you, and when your boss will expect you to be working.
Develop your morning routine
Besides working regular hours, you should have a bulletproof routine. Whether that’s waking up at 5:30 and going for a run, or meditating, you should focus your morning routine on being proactive instead of reactive. Try not to check your phone first thing in the morning, have a good breakfast, practice gratitude, praying and more. Whatever your morning routine is, make it unique, make it yours, do the things that feel good, take a cold shower, focus on health and tackle the big things earliest in the morning and your day will become that much easier.
Trust me. I tell me clients this all the time! Your morning routine matters more than anything else!
Schedule breaks
Simple enough. Take breaks every 60-90 minutes. You should get up, stretch, go for a quick walk around the house, do some push-ups, or just stop staring at your screen! Don’t forget to breathe and decompress, even if it’s just for a few moments. Take. Breaks. Often. You got this.
Get outside
Feels simple enough, but if you are working from home in the burbs, or even the city, it is going to behoove you to get outdoors and into nature (if you can). Even just going for a morning or evening walk can recharge the batteries. Try to leave the phone at home, or take it and put on some music, a good audiobook, or just take in the streetscapes of the world around you. Breathe that fresh air, go for a hike, go camping, and get in tune with your surroundings outside of your house. It is very difficult to have your home be the source of play, work, sleep, cooking, fitness, family and more.
Have a dedicated office space
Do you have a desk? Or a nook where you can playfully have all of your work stuff? If not, you need one. You must have one. Make it yours - for work - and for nothing else. Have your personal PC be somewhere else. Your desk should be YOURS. Keep your work there - and do not let it permeate any other facet of your house.
Socialize with colleagues
You have to learn to have some fun with your colleagues. Whether it’s changing your background on Zoom, or having a few funny things laying around your desk, find a way to connect and socialize with your colleagues. Take interest in them, their families, surroundings, the office and more. It is OK to not be ‘All business, all the time.’
Be “Heard” at meetings
Part of working from home successfully is having the primal and very human need to be, ‘Heard.’ Speaking up at meetings, talking to others, asking questions, and getting your turn to share your thoughts, ideas, presentations and work all relates to feeling good and accomplished at work. Focus on being ‘Heard’ in a positive way and be weary of just how much ‘Talk-time,’ you are taking up. Let others have their turn, too, but never shy away from engaging in dialogue with your co-workers on video conferencing opportunities.
Be Positive
It can be tough to be disciplined enough to only focus on work, your tasks, and feeling like you are in your own row boat in a very big ocean. Part of this mentality comes from feeling disconnected from those not around you, even if you do work for a big company. Play your part by being positive. Practice gratitude. Be thankful, write in your journal, do the next thing and remind yourself that how you may be feeling is just how you are feeling in the moment - and this, too, shall pass.
Listen to positive podcasts, good music, get a workout in, stay away from the junk food and do the right things and you’ll get the right results.
Take advantage of being home
You’re at home! Celebrate the fact that you don’t have a commute and can be more efficient and productive. A lot of people used to want to KILL to work from home. Now, we all get to do it. Pretty cool, right? Even if you don’t think the grass is greener on the other side, be thankful. A lot of people don’t have these opportunities right now - but you do! Take the time to do the things you might not to get to (laundry, dishes etc.). Be thankful and take advantage of it while still getting what you need to get done.
End the day with a routine, too
How you end the day is just as important to how you start it. Practice gratitude, meditation, have a nightly routine of praying, yoga, fitness, or taking the dog for a walk to unplug. Whatever it is, have your routine and allow for some decompressing that doesn’t involve sitting for 2-3 hours in front of another screen. You’ll thank yourself for this! Spend time with kids, take the time to speak to your roommates, play board games, go for a run, do something - anything! Read that book, listen to that podcast, but get in the habit of developing good habits, period!
That’s about it for now, which ones resonate for you? What do you agree or disagree with?
What do you find to be the most difficult parts about working from home?
What do you like/dislike about working from home?
Drop me a comment or email and let me know.
See ya out there.