Working From Home: Tips and Tricks
For the past ten years or so, I’ve worked semi- or fully remotely for companies based across the U.S. Over the years, I’ve adapted to this arrangement and really enjoy it because it gives me independence and flexibility I personally want in my life. Sometimes I work out of the Reno Collective, a coworking space here in Reno where freelancers and remote professionals work out of a shared office space. However, most days, I work from home.
Whether you’re new to working remotely or working temporarily from home thanks to the coronavirus, this kind of lifestyle can be an adjustment. There are many benefits — including flexibility, independence, creating and customizing your own workspace — but working from home can be isolating and requires a lot of self-discipline. The lines become blurred when you work out of the same place you live. Here are some suggestions based on my decade of working remotely to make the most of this arrangement.
Have a Dedicated Work Space
I’ve worked remotely while living in a loft, a studio apartment, and now a house with a separate home office space. No matter the size of my living space, I always made sure to have a dedicated work space. It’s important to have a space that’s just for working because work/life becomes tricky when you work from home: when you can work anywhere, there’s never a differentiation between your work and leisure time. Find somewhere in your home that can function as your workspace. This might be a corner of your kitchen table, a table on your balcony, or a little closet that you convert to a tiny office. If possible, this should be a place that you can close off or can remain undisturbed when you’re not working.
Get Up and Get Dressed
Many work-from-homers enjoy the benefit of working in their pajamas. If you find joy in this perk, go for it! I, personally, feel more ready to take on the day when I get out of bed, shower, and put on real clothes before getting to work. This is purely a personal preference but I know that folks new to working remotely may feel more “productive” by doing this as well. Plus, if I do decide to take an afternoon walk or head to a coffee shop, I’m already dressed and don’t have to disrupt my workday by showering at 1 p.m.
Maintain a Routine
Every day doesn’t have to be exactly the same, and a nice perk of working remotely is being able to switch up your schedule when you feel like it. Maintaining a basic routine the way you would at a traditional job is a good habit to build, especially if you’re new to working remotely. My daily routine usually looks something like this:
7 a.m.: Wake-up. Read through my Feedly and drink a big glass of water. Stretch.
7:30 a.m.: Shower, do hair/makeup, and get dressed in real clothes (not pajamas).
8-8:30 a.m.: Turn on my computer and get set up at my desk. Pour some coffee/water, eat a small breakfast (if I’m not intermittent fasting).
8:30 a.m.: Start my work day. If I have a lot to do, I’ll plan out my schedule using Work Cycles. This helps me tackle a lot in one day by segmenting my time and projects.
11:30 a.m.: Break/lunch.
12 p.m.: Back to work.
3:30-4:30 p.m.: Go to the gym.
4:30-6 p.m.: If needed, I use this time to wrap up work projects or get situated for the next day.
I mentioned Work Cycles before, but I think this is a great tool to help you stay on track. It’s a spreadsheet that you can use to dedicate a chunk of time to ONE project. This approach helps you focus just on that one project for the duration. I often use Work Cycles in conjunction with Forest so that I don’t get distracted by calls or social media.
When you don’t have a schedule and routine that is set by a boss or company, it’s easy to just work all the time OR not work enough to fulfill your responsibilities. Scheduling out your day keeps you accountable. After you do this every day, it becomes a routine and you don’t have to write every little thing down, but it doesn’t hurt to write everything down as you’re adapting.
Keep Your House Clean
Working from home means you’re in your home a LOT and a messy surrounding will add to your stress. Your home doesn’t have to be spotless, but keeping clutter at bay and tackling the major tasks (like dirty dishes in the sink) gives you some peace of mind. It’s easy to become distracted by chores that need to be done during your workday, so keeping your home and workspace tidy allows you to focus on your work.
Treat Work Time Like Work Time
It’s tempting to turn on shows or YouTube while you’re working — after all, no one is watching you — but it’s better to find stimulating entertainment that aids your workflow rather than detracts from it. Instrumental music or sometimes podcasts are better for your concentration. (I can’t listen to podcasts while I’m writing but I love them while I’m working on a big spreadsheet project!)
Here are some of my favorite playlists for productivity:
lofi hip hop music - beats to relax/study to (I <3 Lofi Study Girl)
Leave the House Once a Day
“Working from home” doesn’t have to literally mean from home. Over the course of every week, I work from my home office, the coworking space, a cafe (the Barnes & Noble cafe is my favorite), and the local library. I go to a local gym three to five times a week, and usually go at the end of the work day (between 3 and 4 p.m.) to separate the work day from my evening. If you don’t live near resources, taking a walk around the block also works. It’s very easy to never leave the house while you work remotely, which over time can lead to depression or malaise. Even introverts need external stimulation, but you can surround yourself with other people and not have to be “social.” It’s kind of like getting your social Vitamin D.
Optional: Invest in Your Setup
My home office setup that I share with my husband (who does not work remotely).
One of the biggest perks of working from home is making your workspace look and function however you want to. If working remotely is a longterm arrangement for you, invest in technology and tools that excite you and work well for your workflow. I’m kind of a tech geek so I love picking out the right tools and customizing my setup. I have a nice big monitor, a fun mechanical keyboard, and just recently purchased the MX Master 3 mouse which allows me to drag files back and forth from my Windows desktop to my MacBook. My office and tech makes me excited every day to get to work.
Working from home is a great way to work, but requires good habit-forming to make the most out of it without sacrificing your work/life balance.