13 Tips on Working from Home

It is 2017! Chances are that you might just be working from home. A lot of people are self-employed and a many need just a laptop and Internet to be able to work. Jobs are becoming more and more flexible and work culture as we know it is going through a major revolution. I work from home and at first I thought it was the best thing that ever happened to me. And while it definitely has a lot of pros and I still prefer it to working from an office space, it also comes with a bunch of cons. But there are ways to work around it! I have put together 13 tips on how you can make working from home productive. Hopefully you fill find some here that resonate with you and are helpful if you too are working from home.

1.     Have a designated desk for your office work but then be flexible enough to work from various different areas of your home. Sit at the dining table, coffee table or even in your bed. Step outside to your garden if that is a possibility. The thing is that creativity can strike you anywhere and at anytime. The trick is to honour it, embrace it and let it flow. Also changing your space can break the monotony of your day.

2.     Set an intention every morning that you will have a productive day. Visualize yourself finishing all your work and imagine having fruitful interactions with your boss, colleagues & clients. Expect the best.

3.     Make your home your Zen Den. Treat it like your shrine or temple or haven or sanctuary. Keep it super tidy. It helps you not getting distracted.  If your home is untidy, chances are that you are going to want to fix that whilst you are working. It’s just how our mind works and I am most certainly guilty of that. By making sure that you tidy up morning or evening or your free time ensures that your work hours are dedicated to your work!

4.     De -clutter. Clutter causes nothing but overwhelm and clutter at home or your workspace interferes with the flow of ideas, creativity & your productivity.

5.     Have a morning routine. This means waking up early, definitely exercising and possibly even meditating and having a healthy breakfast. This sets the tone for the rest of your day.

6.     Make the effort. You are spending the day with the most important person in your life and that’s YOU. Make an effort to get ready and get dressed. Wear good outfits and indulge in self-care and grooming. This doesn’t mean that you spend hours doing your hair and makeup. Be comfortable but surely make an effort to dress up, don’t just settle for pyjamas. It’s also a way of throwing it out to the universe that you are ready for life and that every moment of your life is special. This is also a way of expressing self-love and that is one of the most important things in life.

7.     Be in regular touch with your other office people via Skype, or Facetime or Whatsapp. We all need an outlet sometimes and no one else will understand the context of your office topics better that your co-workers. This also means that when you need help ask for it, don't just keep googling solutions in isolation!

8.     Get out often. Take active breaks. Try and leave technology behind and step out for a walk at lunchtime.

9.     Stretch and move around a lot. Keep active. Jumping on a trampoline helps too ;)

10. Every now and again work from a coffee shop just so that you can get out and be close to other humans. This satiates your need for human connection and at the same time makes you realize how calm and quiet your home is. So you can get back to it again, feeling the need to escape the busy-ness of the coffee shop, market areas etc. I hope this makes sense!

11. If at a certain time you cannot focus, leave it, take a break and come back to it later. Guided mediations even for 10 minutes at this point can help.

12. Plan and prep your meals & snacks. This ensures that you are not wasting precious time in your kitchen cooking at the last minute, then getting distracted with the mess you made etc etc. It’s a downward spiral from there. Believe me I know this one. Planning & prepping healthy snacks will also ensure that you don’t keep eating crap every time you take a break.

13. Plan ahead- Working from home and alone is certainly not easy. Self-discipline is crucial. Planning your tasks well in advance really helps. Yes I am talking To-Do lists and monthly calendars. But be realistic with your lists, don't get over ambitious and save yourself from overwhelm.

Let me know your top tips on working from home. I am always looking for more and more ways to make my days more productive and effective.