I work from home part time and there are usually two different reactions I receive when I tell someone I work from home. One is, “I’m so jealous! I wish I could lay around in my PJs all day,” and the other is, “How do you do it? I don’t think I would have the self-control.”. Working from home has its pros and cons but there are a few ways you can stay on task and get your work done while you are owning your time working like a boss!!
Set your own work hours
When you’re making your own schedule, it’s tempting to put things off and procrastinate when you have the newest episode of Ozark on Netflix sitting right in front of you! When you don’t have set work hours, it’s easy to work all hours. We think we are “working” when we are actually just thinking of work! That leads us to work all the time, a little here a little there and you are working crazy hours. This is not good for you or your health. The best way to avoid this burnout is to set your hours and stick to them. Decide if your hours will be 9-12 or maybe you want to go to a yoga class at 9 and start work at 11. Whatever it may be, if you are lucky enough to work from home, make sure you have your set hours. If you fail to plan – you plan to fail. This will give you focus during work hours and help you free your mind when you’re done.
Have an ‘Office’ space
It’s important to have a set place where you work in your home. Whether it’s the kitchen table or a small room under the stairs. It’s critical to have a place that you can focus and get work done that isn’t your bed. Yes, we all have a tendency to answer a few emails from bed when we’re having a rough start in the morning, but designating a separate place in your house will help you mentally transition from home-mode to work-mode without walking out the door.
Take Breaks and See People
One of the things that I hear the most from people who work from home is how isolated they feel. Sitting in the same room by yourself every day can put you in a lonely, depressed state, which will impact your productivity and happiness. It’s crucial that you take breaks, go for a run or work from a coffee shop every once in a while. Make sure you schedule it in your work day, it is so important to take that break to refresh your mind or take a walk with a friend, just like you would if you were working in an office!
Get Dressed
I know working in your pajamas is one of the benefits from working from home but you will be way more productive if you get dressed! It will set the tone of the day. I don’t know about you but when I stay in my pajamas all day (on a weekend), I am super lazy, I just want to sit and do nothing, I am unmotivated and feel like crap!!! Ok, Ok, you can stay in your jammies on those cold mornings for sure, I mean that’s why we work from home right? But try to do your best to get dressed as much as possible. It really does increase your productivity, It makes you feel good and you never know who will stop by!!