Your friends and family may envy your work from home gig, but anyone who has ever attempted to work from home understands the many struggles they endure. If you’re facing this challenge, here are some tips to make this experience better:
1. Set Up an Office Space – You need a specified space in your home that is for work only. You need a desk, computer (or maybe docking station if you have a work laptop), files, a phone, and office supplies. Think of it as your own cubicle at home. Why is this important? If you cozy up on the couch or even in bed, you’ll be more relaxed and less into working. It’s also more difficult to focus if the TV is on, demanding your attention.
2. Specify Office Times – If you work full time, you may need to dedicate 8 hours or more to your work. If it’s freelance or part time, do not stop working until the job’s done (or dedicate a set amount of hours per day to your tasks). There should be no doing laundry in between (save this for your lunch break) or running to the store. Once you get more set in your work from home routine, you’ll learn how to manage home demands in between work demands.
3. Technology Tricks – Working from home is not as socially fulfilling as working in an office. Be sure to utilize work chats and emails to greet coworkers (but don’t abuse these technological advances—you are still working). If your coworkers live across the country, don’t rely on them for all of your social interactions. Try working from a bookstore café one afternoon, or in the park to ensure you meet people. Again, you’ll need to be working, so changing scenery is only recommended on light work days or once you have a solid routine set.
4. Don’t Slack Off – Working from home puts more pressure on you to be productive. You can’t drop in on your boss at any moment and they can’t see you putting in late hours. Be sure they’re aware of what you’re working on each day (maybe send weekly updates or log your hours) and fight the urge to slack off. People will notice and you could be the first to go.
