Secrets to Working From Home That Can Change Your Life
Working from home can be amazing for so many reasons. You can do your best work in the comfort of your home and have more time for everything else in your life. What’s not to love?
But while remote work has plenty of perks, it also can have more than a few challenges, too. These pro tips will help you raise your work from home game.
1. Set Up Your Workspace
Sure, you could bring your laptop to bed or curl up on the couch, but should you? Definitely not.
As enticing as it may be, working from home can cause your work life and personal life to blend together. Eventually, you’re never quite working and never quite free.
Set up a defined workspace in a quiet area of the house and stick to it. When you’re there, you’re working. Period.
What the Internet Thinks About Setting Up Your Workspace
From mdyoong on Instagram:
My Workplace From Home
Now that we’ll be working at home for (at least) another 30 more days or so, I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I can't live my life on the sofa (see previous post) and moved my laptop to a dedicated space at home (read: dining table).
Have made it as ergonomic as it can possibly be (captioned in orange), but highlights include:
Raising monitors to eye level
: you should not have to look up or look down at your screen.
- Not sure what your eye level is? Sit on your chair, close your eyes, and find the position most comfortable for your head — that is where your eye level is.
- You don’t need fancy equipment for this. As you can see, my main monitor is raised on cork trivets, and stacks of scientific journals. Now is the time to put all your magazine subscriptions to good use! ????
Keep your main monitor in front of you, second monitor can be beside you to limit turning your head unnecessarily.
Raised by chair so that my wrist doesn't hyperextend/extend unnaturally to use my keyboard mouse. No office chair? You can try to achieve a similar effect with a pillow on your chair.
Keep your knees in line with your hips and your knees bent @ 90°. Rest your foot on a stool (or a basket like what I did) if needed.
Take regular breaks to stand and stretch. I suggest drinking lots of water. Even if you forget to stand, your bladder will remind you.
A dedicated space helps you keep some work-life balance.
Good ergonomics means that once this is over, you can spend your money on vacations instead of chiropractic bills.
How do your work from home setups look like?
#workfromhome #workfromhomelife #workfromhomesetup #ergonomics #ergonomic #homeoffice #homeofficedecor
2. Get the Right Equipment
If your laptop from 2013 has slowed to a crawl or your Wi-Fi cuts out every five minutes, it’s time for a tuneup.
If you’re working from home on a long-term basis, ask your employer to set you up. You’re on your own if you’re self-employed, but any work-related expenses can be deducted at tax time.
Don’t forget to save those receipts.
What the Internet Thinks About Getting the Right Equipment
3. That Includes Noise-Canceling Headphones
You need to get noise-canceling headphones. Just do it.
Conference calls are a routine part of remote work, and you need to be able to hear your coworkers and vice versa. That’s tough if you’re dealing with background noise from kids, pets, traffic, garbage trucks, car alarms, you get the idea.
A good set of headphones will set you back a couple of hundred bucks, but they’ll help muffle background noise so your meeting isn’t interrupted by the mailman.
What the Internet Thinks About Noise-Canceling Headphones
4. Start Your Day Right
A morning routine will help you feel good and be productive in one go. Try to wake up around the same time each day and start the day with a routine you enjoy.
Whether that means a hearty breakfast, a morning walk, a steamy cup of joe, or all three, a morning routine that puts you in a good mood will help keep that positive, ready-to-go mindset through the rest of the day.
What the Internet Thinks About Starting Your Day Right
5. Put on Real Pants
While no one will technically see that you’re wearing fluffy monkey pajama pants during your Zoom meeting, you’ll still know.
Who feels like a boss in fluffy monkey pajama pants? Literally no one. You don’t have to stick to office dress-code, but do yourself a favor and get dressed.
Living in PJs is fun for a few days. Beyond that, you just start to look (and feel) lazy.
What the Internet Thinks About Putting on Real Pants
From msbrandymorgan on Instagram:
forever and always my #workfromhome vibe
regardless how you feel, get up, dress up, show up and never give up
6. Stick to a Schedule
While remote work allows you incredible freedom, it also requires incredible discipline. If you treat yourself to a long 10 a.m. brunch while catching up on the millionth season of "Grey’s Anatomy" one day, what’s to stop you from taking a two-hour nap the next?
Quality me time is amazing, but not if it leads to procrastination and barely met deadlines. Set a schedule, and stick with it.
If it’s not working after a week, revamp the schedule.
What the Internet Thinks About Sticking to a Schedule
From fischrmedia on Instagram:
Tuesday's schedule breakdown in my #bulletjournal. Super simple, but gets me focused and centered for the rest of the day! When I don't have a long list and need a simple schedule, I use my @eccololtd compact journal; I love it #FischrJournals
7. Figure Out When You’re Most Productive
Continuing from that last tip, the secret for a perfect work schedule comes down to what works best for you.
The go-getter early-bird mompreneur on your Instagram feed might wake up at 5 am to take the dog for a run before she prepares a Pinterest-worthy feast for her three perfectly groomed kids and starts work by 7 a.m. sharp.
If you are not that person, don’t aim for that schedule! Make a note of your most productive work sessions, and see what time they usually happen. Then, adapt your schedule around that.
What the Internet Thinks About Figuring Out When You’re Most Productive
8. Share Your Work Hours with Your Coworkers
Whether you’re working from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., let your boss and coworkers know your availability.
If not, they’ll call you during family time or ask you to hop on a quick Zoom meeting while you’re running errands.
If there are different time zones involved, you may have to plan meetings ahead or make a few sacrifices to your dream schedule.
What the Internet Thinks About Sharing Your Work Hours with Your Coworkers
9. Avoid Social Distractions
Stay off Facebook unless you’re on it for work purposes.
The magical world of the internet is a massive time suck. First, you reply to one message from a friend. Next thing you know, you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole. It’s been 45 minutes, and you’re now learning about prehistoric sharks on YouTube. (Not like I’m speaking from experience or anything.)
Keep work screen time and play screen time separate, or you’ll be staring at screens all day without getting much done.
What the Internet Thinks About Avoiding Social Distractions
From flolabcollab on Instagram:
A simple way to manage social media distractions during your work is to stay off social media
What do you do though if social media is part of your work??
10. Check in With Video Chats
While social media is a productivity killer, social interaction overall can be an asset.
Talk with coworkers regularly, both for shop talk and a little casual conversation. See how working from home is working for them. Share your challenges and what helped you solve them. Commiserate a little. Motivate each other.
People don’t need Instagram, but they do need other people. A little connection time will do you and your workflow some good.
What the Internet Thinks About Checking in With Video Chats
11. Create Boundaries
Getting work done efficiently is impossible if you’re interrupted 10 times a day.
Every time your spouse pops in to remind you to take out the trash or your kid climbs on your lap to beg for another snack, you get off task and have to refocus your efforts.
Post your schedule on your door, and don’t deviate from it. That way, everyone in the house knows you mean business.
What the Internet Thinks About Creating Boundaries
12. Get a New Number
You already have a perfectly good phone, but using your personal number for work is another common work creep culprit.
Not because your coworkers are creepy (we hope), but because it’s so easy to become perpetually on the clock. That, and using your cell number for work means you have virtually no privacy.
A full-time job doesn’t mean 24/7 availability. Set up a Google Voice number to use exclusively for work to keep your two worlds from melting into one.
What the Internet Thinks About Getting a New Number
13. Keep Pets and Work Separate
I have a cat. I love my cat. She loves my laptop. She loves laying on my laptop while I’m trying to type.
I have tried to explain that no work means no wet food. She didn’t get the memo. She smacked my coffee mug to the ground and started grooming herself as if nothing happened.
From one work-from-home pet parent to the next: Close. The Door.
What the Internet Thinks About Keeping Pets and Work Separate
14. Use a VPN
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, keeps your data private and safe from hackers who are out to steal potentially confidential information.
Large organizations often have a VPN of their own, and you should always use it when working remotely. This is especially true if you’re working in public spaces like cafes, libraries, and airports.
Keep it secret, keep it safe.
What the Internet Thinks About Using a VPN
15. Give Time Management Apps a Shot
Set a timer whenever you start working and pause it for all breaks. That way, you can keep track of how much time you’re actually staying focused.
Toggl is a popular app that allows users to track time to different projects, so give it a try! Asana is another great tool for to-do lists and project management. Browse a few different apps, but commit when you find your favorite.
Otherwise, you’ll end up wasting more time than you were before just playing with apps under the guise of "planning."
What the Internet Thinks About Giving Time Management Apps a Shot
From gyididesigns on Instagram:
Do you find yourself over-scheduling and not getting enough done during the day
No worries, here's a tip: When you do your more common tasks, time yourself as you do them. See if there is a general time limit with which you find yourself fulfilling those tasks. Now, use that time limit or generalization to create your schedule.
If you know that it takes about 30 minutes to create a proposal for someone, schedule that 30 minutes in your planner. If it takes 15 minutes to send an invoice, then schedule that on your planner. Don't just list a bunch of tasks that you may never get to.
BE INTENTIONAL! #marketing #branding #smallbusiness #gyididesigns #webdesign #entrepreneur #strategy #strategyforsuccess #tips #timemanagementtips #brand #webdesigner #wordpress #visualidentity #livecreatively #designfeed #timemanagement
16. Communicate Extra Clearly
Did you know the majority of human communication is actually nonverbal?
Communication via email or even phone calls leaves out a large chunk of information that you would easily pick up on in person. It’s hard to read a person’s tone through text on a screen, so be more expressive than you think is necessary.
Break things down more than usual and be extra positive so that coworkers don’t mistake succinct wording for irritation.
What the Internet Thinks About Communicating Extra Clearly
What the Internet Thinks About Communicating Extra Clearly, Part II
17. Use Breaks as Incentives
No matter how much you love your job, everyone needs breaks. Without them, performance inevitably starts to drop over time.
Try to get as much done as you can between breaks, and when you take them, don’t cut them short!
Whether it’s 15 minutes or 30, use your entire break for a favorite snack or a little exercise.
18. Move Your Body
Speaking of which, moving is still required when you work at home. It’s good for productivity and keeps you from hating yourself.
Anyone who has spent a week straight switching from office chair to couch, perpetually glued to a screen, can attest to this. Being completely sedentary doesn’t make you feel good. If you don’t feel good, your motivation and drive deflate. Go for a jog. Run sprints. Try a dance class on YouTube, or a calming yoga sesh.
Just move.
What the Internet Thinks About Moving Your Body
From kaypuregym on Instagram:
Some tips to help you stay active at home
REMEMBER YOUR WHY
Define a clear purpose that is meaningful and relevant to you at this time and if it helps, keep a note of it somewhere that’s visible to you, like on your phone screensaver, so you can keep this top of mind.
SET REALISTIC GOALS
Have something you can focus on and later be proud of. You might have to adjust or completely change what you were focusing on in the gym for the time being – and that’s okay. Write a list of some ideas of things you’d like really to achieve which you can realistically do within the confines of your home.
SCHEDULE IT IN
Think about breaking your goals into small, achievable tasks you can spread throughout your week. Allocating a specific time to work on these will help give you some structure to your new routine. That way you have no excuse to forget about it!
SET UP A WORKOUT AREA
Much like your bedroom, living space and kitchen, where you carry out different activities, allocating a specific area in your home to workout can help to create an environment which supports your activity/goals. Not everyone will have a room or garden where they can workout, so just do the best you can with the space you have.
CREATE A WORKOUT PLAYLIST
Whilst it might seem like getting into a routine of working out at home is easier than going to the gym because you don’t have to travel – it can for many people be quite the opposite, including myself! Making a workout playlist with tunes you love can make it easier to get in the mood to workout and get those trainers on!
Remember, it's okay if you don't feel motivated all the time to workout. Be kind to yourself. Taking time to rest is just as important!
19. Enjoy the Fresh Air
Many of us who work remotely by choice are massive introverts.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but just because you’re content inside doesn’t mean you don’t need oxygen. You’re not a rock. You need fresh air, sunlight, and the occasional human face.
When you take breaks, step outside. Your brain will thank you.
What the Internet Thinks About Enjoying the Fresh Air
20. Don’t Give in to Your Sweet Tooth
At home, snacks are available around the clock. Constant snacking and indulging in sweets too often will cause momentary bursts of energy followed by the dreaded "sugar crash."
Staying on task in a warm, quiet house after downing half a box of Thin Mints is nearly impossible.
Stick with healthy snacks, and try to only eat when you’re really hungry. Not just bored.
What the Internet Thinks About Not Giving in to Your Sweet Tooth
From fitcampfoods on Instagram:
Diet vs. Exercise
So we’re all cooped up at home, locked out of our gyms, yoga class has been cancelled and we’re not able to meet up with our running buddy who helps us keep that fat burning stride. It’s frustrating, especially when we were so sure 2020 was going to be our year. I know that all those efforts you put in over the last couple months towards your fitness goals feel like they’re going to be lost. Here’s the thing though, your diet has waaaaaay more to do with your weight than your workouts. Working out is 100% important for your overall health and it also plays a huge factor in your overall shape. That being said your new found muscles don’t have to be lost. If you really focus on your nutrition you can maintain those new [muscles]
Depending on what it is you are working towards achieving there are a variety of ways to nutritionally aid your goals. If you have been working on your strength and your overall muscle definition, make sure that even from quarantine you are getting an adequate amount of protein. For me that looks like 20-25g of protein per meal, with a few snacks running roughly 10g of protein each. I do not count macros or calories, but I do consider the amount of protein in each meal. If keeping your muscles is the goal then please please do not cut down on food. You need to feed them to keep them. If general weight loss was your goal then sticking to your initial nutrition plan is your best bet. The biggest obstacle you’re going to face being at home all day is mindless snacking. It’s really easy to over consume when you’re bored.
So stick to a schedule. When you were working I’m sure you had an eating pattern. Breakfast, work, lunch, work, afternoon snack, work, dinner. There was a substantial amount of time spent doing other things between each meal that you had. Keep that rhythm up. Write yourself a schedule and stick to it. Don’t skip on carbs, don’t skip a meal, don’t skip snacks. Write a proper fueling yourself schedule and stick to it. There is absolutely no reason to throw out your ... goals. In fact sticking to it through [a] curveball ... goes to show how bad you want it and just how capable you are
21. Put on Some Tunes
While music is too distracting for some, for others it can improve both focus and mood.
Test out different genres and see what works for you. Spotify even has playlists specifically made for studying and focus.
Just make sure you can hit pause easily in case an important call comes in.
What the Internet Thinks About Putting on Some Tunes
22. Meditate
Work at home is still work.
If you’re feeling stressed out, anxious, or just a little drained, take 5-10 minutes and try a guided meditation class.
Deep breathing helps to calm a scattered mind, helping you return to the challenge at hand with renewed energy and positivity.
What the Internet Thinks About Meditating
From millennialtherapist on Instagram:
Take time to quiet your mind.
My mind and heart have been full of racing thoughts and hard emotions. Today- I took some space to quiet my mind via meditation and I feel restful and content for the first time in a while.
Here are some things I did to prepare my heart and mind to get to a peaceful place:
1) set up space in my room by making my bed
2) lit a candle
3) got comfortable
4) used a meditation app [ @headspace ]
5) listened to binaural Beats (you can find a playlist on @spotify)
6) journaled about what has been blocking me from being still and truly open.
My encouragement to you today is to find some space to quiet your mind and shift your thoughts and emotions.
23. Take a Sick Day
If you’re sick, stay home. Oh wait. You’re already there.
If you just have a mild cold and feel up for work, go for it. If you’re genuinely feeling ill, don’t hesitate to take the day off. Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to take time to rest when you’re under the weather.
If you need a sick day, take it.
What the Internet Thinks About Taking a Sick Day
It is okay: to rest, to reset, to be “lazy”, to take time for yourself, and procrastinate a little bit, to “slip-up” from time to time, to be less than perfect, slow down, rest. It is all ok. We all do these things, and we all need to let ourselves do these things.
I spent years beating myself up for being less than perfect, disciplined, energetic, accomplished all the time. If I were sick, I could not just let myself veg-out with chicken soup and watch movies for a day or two. Rather, I would still have to be accomplishing, doing, going, grinning and bearing it. If I wasn’t, I would judge myself harshly and work myself towards a depression.
Over the last few years, I have made it a point to honor these moments when life needs to slow down or change tempo as an opportunity to come into deeper alignment with my Being. In these moments, something is asking to be seen, heard, witnessed.
And in this moment, we are collectively being asked to witness, all together, to join together in reflective awareness.
Do I turn away and crush down these parts of myself (or of the world) that are asking for attention, or do I turn towards these parts of Self as an opportunity to learn about Life?
Do I take these rhythms of life as spaces to learn and grown in compassion for myself and others who experience struggle, stuckness, stress, exhaustion; as spaces to deepen my wisdom and understanding of what is going on in my body and mind below the surface; as spaces to step into and honor the unfolding art of spirit in this material dimension and the different brush strokes with which my life is painted?
Reflections on self-isolation this week. These are moments for knowledge and rejuvenation to be enjoyed and cherished.
What the Internet Thinks About Taking a Sick Day, Part II
From omkarlie on Instagram:
It is okay: to rest, to reset, to be "lazy", to take time for yourself, and procrastinate a little bit, to "slip-up" from time to time, to be less than perfect, slow down, rest. It is all ok. We all do these things, and we all need to let ourselves do these things.
I spent years beating myself up for being less than perfect, disciplined, energetic, accomplished all the time. If I were sick, I could not just let myself veg-out with chicken soup and watch movies for a day or two. Rather, I would still have to be accomplishing, doing, going, grinning and bearing it. If I wasn’t, I would judge myself harshly and work myself towards a depression.
Over the last few years, I have made it a point to honor these moments when life needs to slow down or change tempo as an opportunity to come into deeper alignment with my Being. In these moments, something is asking to be seen, heard, witnessed.
And in this moment, we are collectively being asked to witness, all together, to join together in reflective awareness.
Do I turn away and crush down these parts of myself (or of the world) that are asking for attention, or do I turn towards these parts of Self as an opportunity to learn about Life?
Do I take these rhythms of life as spaces to learn and grow in compassion for myself and others who experience struggle, stuckness, stress, exhaustion; as spaces to deepen my wisdom and understanding of what is going on in my body and mind below the surface; as spaces to step into and honor the unfolding art of spirit in this material dimension and the different brush strokes with which my life is painted?
Reflections on self-isolation this week. These are moments for knowledge and rejuvenation to be enjoyed and cherished.
24. Make a Vision Board
Without the presence of an upbeat team, working from home can feel a little dull and monotonous. Creating a vision board will help you keep an eye on your goals.
What are you working toward? What is it you want to create? Where will you travel with all your hard-earned money?
Anything that inspires you is fair game.
What the Internet Thinks About Making a Vision Board
From visionboardplanner on Instagram:
[A] grid journal for the month!! #visionboard #vision #visionboards #visionary #journaling #journalprompts #selflove #selfcare #visionboardparty #visionario #thesecret #manifest #manifestation #godisgood #loveyourself #loves #journaling #journalspread #bulletjournal
25. Enjoy the Perks
Working remotely comes with challenges, but it also brings tremendous flexibility.
You can make more time for your kids, fit in time for coffee with a friend, or take a midday break to work on your favorite hobby.
And if you want to work in your pajamas every once in a while, it’s our little secret.
What the Internet Thinks About Enjoying the Perks
From appafluffybutt on Instagram:
Me 20 minutes into my 5 minute break #Whoops #Selfcare