How to Work From Home

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There are a lot of people that are working from home for the very first time due to the Coronavirus. Believe it or not, working from home can be very challenging.

There are a lot of distractions and nuances when working from home that you don’t have to deal with when you are in the office. However, with a little planning and practice you can be even more productive working from home.

Here are some tips for how to work from home…

Keep Your Morning Routine

Try your hardest to keep your morning routine.  Get up at the same time, shower, get dressed, grab coffee just like you would if you were heading into the office.   Now, you don’t need to get dressed as you normally would (that is one of the biggest perks of working from home), but you should get up and put yourself together a bit. This will give you a sense of normalcy and some added confidence to get your day started.

Have a Dedicated Work Area

It can be really tempting to work from your couch or your bed. Don’t give into this temptation.  Find a dedicated work space and work exclusively from there.   This space could be an office,  guest bedroom, half of your living room room, even your dining room table. It doesn’t matter where it is as long as it is a space that is comfortable and conducive to work.

The reason that it’s important to have separate spaces is that is creates a sense of boundary.   It can be very easy when you are working from home to blend working/non-working time.   You tend to either work too much or too little. You either work 15 hours a day or binge watch three season of The Office without established boundaries.

Keep Standard Hours

When you are thinking of how to work from home, make a plan to keep standard working hours.  You should start your day and end your day at the same time  just as you would if you were in a traditional office.

Not only does this prevent you from burning out (interestingly, most people tend to OVER-work when working from home) , but it also gives you a sense of routine.   Routine and structure are important and can be missing when you start to work from home. After a while, a lack of routine can start to impact your mood and confidence.  Humans are creature of habit so try to stick to a regular schedule.

Set Boundaries with People

If you live with people that may be home when you are working it is important that you establish clear boundaries.  Spend some time discussing when you will be working and what the expectations are.  Be really honest with what you need them to do and NOT do.

If you haven’t worked from home before, it can be a big adjustment for everyone. Make sure that you are communicating early and openly in order to avoid tension or frustration on both sides.

Set Goals Each Day

Each morning, set a goal of things that you would like to accomplish that day.  This serves a couple of purposes. For one, it can keep you focused on what you need to get done. Working from home means that you have your fair share of distractions.

But additionally, keeping a track of things that you accomplished will give you a much needed sense of accomplishment. Sometimes when you work from home you can feel that you didn’t really do anything because you didn’t get up and go into an office. It’s important to remind yourself that you are contributing at the same or an even greater level.

Working from home is truly a win-win for everyone.  Once you get the hang of it you will find that you have a greater work/life balance, more productivity, and overall better wellness. However, have some grace with yourself as you are learning how to work from home. It may take some time, but you will get there!

What struggles do you face when working from home?   Do you have any tips for how to work from home?

 

 

 

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