5 Ways to Maximize Working From Home

posted on February 9, 2017 | by Chelsea Becker

I’ve personally always loved working from home. There’s flexibility, you can forgo makeup or uncomfortable clothes, and you’re not commuting or wasting time getting ready. The downsides, though, are that your bed is close, your DVR is even closer, and there’s not a lot of natural structure. Since I work from home every day, I’ve had to come up with ways to actually get work done. Here are 5 ways to maximize working from home:

Ignore chores

Throwing in a load of laundry or cleaning the bathroom “real quick” might be tempting, but chores are a distraction. Just because you’re home and these chores may seem simple, they’re essentially taking you away from work. Save chores until after you shut down for the day or weekends, like you would with an office job.

Schedule your day

Even though you’re not in an office with traditional structure, it’s still crucial to schedule your day. I personally use Google calendars and block out chunks for each task. I even schedule a morning routine and lunch break for myself. Knowing what your day looks like, what your most important tasks are —and when you’ll do them—helps productivity.

Create a morning routine

It’s really easy to wake up and jump on your computer first thing—especially because you don’t necessarily need to get ready first—but having a morning routine sets you up for a successful day. Wake up at a decent time, shower, grab coffee, eat breakfast, maybe read a little bit, and then get to work. Take advantage of the time you make up by not commuting and enjoy your morning.

Turn off

Just as easy as it is to start working the moment you wake up, working until 11 p.m. is similar. This leads to burnout, though, and working when you’re tired isn’t productive. Have a set time that you shut down each night—for me that’s 6 p.m.—and give your mind a break before work the next day.

Have a no TV policy

For years I thought I could WFH in front of the TV. And I can, but I get about half as much done vs. when I’m in my office. If there’s something I really can’t wait until 6 p.m. to watch, I catch a show on my lunch break—but never while working simultaneously.

What are your WFH tips?

7 Comments

Allison Says

Having a morning routine has changed everything for me. I have found that if I actually get up and get out of bed an hour before I need to, I can get so much done before the day really even starts.

I really need to take up your tip on time-blocking out my day though. I’ve read about that a lot lately and always think that it won’t work for me, but I think it’s time for me to try and figure it out!

My best work from home tip is to take breaks. On days I work from home I used to try to get everything done as quickly as possible, and that backfired real fast. Now I take at least a 5 minute break every hour, whether to walk outside, read a chapter of a book, or something else that lets me reset my mind.

Kathy Dowd Says

It is important to have a schedule. It may include getting up at 6am and checking email, a run at 8am, and business and personal agenda items throughout the day but with the extra time of not commuting, it is easier to accomplish so much more that if you were reporting into an office every day. Companies can tell pretty quickly if you are taking advantage of the opportunity so discipline is important. I have been WFH for over 10 years and it would be hard to go back to a 9-5 in an office. Would be great for more companies to realize the extra potential they can realize from employees by giving them a little freedom.

Claudia Says

How do I search those jobs thank you ? Castillo

Hollis Bassknight Says

Love this site. ….

Hollis Bassknight Says

Love this site. ….

Lily Calfee Says

All these strategies are totally vital to my creativity/productivity at when I’m working from home, which I do on days that I don’t see clients. As soon as my feet hit the floor in the morning, I know the steps I go through until NOON:

Lemon water, morning pages, fresh water, workout, shower, protien/veggie breakfast, dressed and writing by 9, blog post and weekly newsletter, check in with my assistant, check emails, LUNCH!

The second half of my day is more flexible, but no TV and no chores are key.

Thanks for spreading the good word, Chelsea.

Semi Says

Very useful tips. I have e-commerce business and to increase my sales I planned to create a multi vendor marketplace. Creating a multi-vendor solution is quite a complex task. That’s the reason that I am looking for software development professionals with strong expertise to accomplish it. Kindly suggest if someone have experience with any professionals.

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