5 Tips For Working From Home

We’re living in strange times. With that said, I hope you’re all staying healthy right now. What many people are about to learn in the coming weeks, is that working from home is not a piece of cake like it seems. Those of us who already work from home have had the convenience of an adjustment period to get into a routine.

There are so many built-in distractions like the pile of laundry you feel you should get to. Or, the leaves in the back of the yard you’ve been avoiding since fall. That new series on Netflix is calling your name. And what about that oh so comfortable bed? Don’t you hear it calling your name? Tempting you to crawl back in and sleep another hour. You don’t have a commute right now. What will it hurt?

All those built-in distractions don’t include the friends and family who will be calling on a daily basis. It doesn’t include the kids running around that aren't normally at work. It doesn’t include the constant blaring of noise from the news your partner is listening to down the hall. The built-in distractions are enough to drive you crazy. The outside distractions might as well force you to call it quits right now.

Or not! I’m not going to sit here and tell you these next few weeks will be easy. Because anyone who has worked from home for an extended period of time knows that it’s rough - especially the first few months. And you have to master it in days. Maybe even hours. On top of a global crisis. But don’t worry...you’ve got this.

I’m about to share with you all my tricks to working from home. From avoiding distractions to productive tools to keep your head in the game. But before we get started, these are my top five pieces of advice to help you through this time…

1 - Set a Routine. Lucky for you, you already have a built-in routine that most of us work-from-homers did not. You get up every morning, get ready for work, and head to the office. Keep your routine as close to the real thing as possible. Your body is already used to it. Wake up at the same time. Head to your desk at the same time. Use it to your advantage and stick with it.

2 - Set Boundaries. Now. Just because you’re working from home does not mean that you are available for everyone and anyone. If family or friends know that you’re home, make them understand that you still are working. Give them office hours if you feel it’s necessary and tell them to only contact you in an emergency. If you've ever been one to take advantage of someone who works from home, you're going to have a new respect for them.

3 - Plan Your Meals & Make Your Bed. These are simple tasks that will help you in the long run. Making your bed makes it easier to not jump back into it. Planning your meals will save you time during the day. It will also help avoid procrastinating tasks like emptying the dishwasher. If you would go out for lunch at the office, this is a great time to take a walk. Fresh air does wonders for afternoon productivity.

4 - Create a Dedicated Workspace. This will be especially important for those of you with kids or if you live with other people. This could be a corner in your bedroom or a section of the kitchen table. Wherever works best for you, make it your dedicated workspace and let everyone else in the house know. I know parents who have made closets their “office". They close the door to keep the kids and animals away during conference calls.

5 - Breathe. You will survive this. We all will. I have people ask me all the time, “how do you do it? I could never work from home.” They think it’s incredibly hard. Sometimes, it is! There’s nothing I want to do more than crawl back in bed and shut the day out. If you treat your dedicated space the same as you would a “normal” office and force yourself to be disciplined, you’ll be fine.

Hang tight! We’re all in this together. We will all make it through. Maybe more people will work from home moving forward. Who knows?

Still need some help? Here are a few more articles I’ve written over the years…

What are some of your top tips for working from home?