Working From Home? 6 Tips To Stay Productive

Working from home has always been a dream of mine.  The freedom to work in the comforts of my home and not having to fight morning and evening traffic is like winning the lottery! The transition from being a 9-5er, to managing yourself and your own hours can be a little strange at first but once you’re in the swing of things, you’ll never look back.

If you’re considering this major life adjustment, here are 6 work from home tips that I’ve personally used to ensure that I am being my most productive self.

1. Set A Schedule – Do you have working hours? While I can get lost in work, I try to stick to a schedule, 9-4 with some flexibility in between. Just because you work from home doesn’t mean that you should be fielding calls all hours of the night and early morning. Set your schedule so your personal time can be respected by your clients or customers.
2. Get Dressed – Working from home doesn’t mean rolling out of bed and working in your pajamas. One of the things that I love to do to get my day started is to take a shower, get dressed and head to my work area. You don’t necessarily have to don a suit and heels but get in the frame of mind that you are still working.
3. Eat Breakfast + Lunch – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve skipped breakfast and lunch because I’m so focused and locked in working. This isn’t a healthy exercise and shouldn’t be something that you practice. Make sure to get your day started with a power breakfast and take a lunch hour! It will give you the energy and extra boost you need to kick some major butt!
4. Get Out Of The House – Working from home or remotely gives you the flexibility to get out and live! You can work from anywhere. When I find myself getting symptoms of cabin fever I venture out to the beach or a local Starbucks. It’s the perks of the job, so why not take advantage of it. I get so many ideas when I’m out and about!
5. Set Boundaries – Just because you work from home does not mean you’re not working. You should make this as clear as possible to your family, friends and to yourself, and set necessary boundaries. I found myself running random errands in the middle of the day, just because I could. Now, I’m more strategic about the appointments and errands I run to ensure they do not disrupt my daily workflow.
6. No/Minimal House Work – Oh, this was my Achilles heel. “I should just wash a few loads of clothing”, or “Maybe I can cook a little earlier”, don’t do it! Working hours are meant for work, not house chores. While it may be a little tempting, you’ll get so caught up, you won’t know when the day ended. Don’t get distracted from the main thing!

I’ve found I’ve been most productive at home, but truthfully, not everyone can work from home, if you’re thinking about making the transition or asking to work remotely, test it out first. Take two weeks vacation or a week, and give it a good run!

Do any of my fellow entrepreneurs and remote workers have any additional tips? I’d love to hear them! Drop them below in the comments!

This post was originally published on February 20, 2019, and has since been updated.

Photo Credit: Pinterest/ @thishouse5000/@indie.boho.net