Whether you\u2019re a freelancer, business owner, or a conventional employee, working from home in many positions is becoming the standard instead of the exception.<\/p>\n
Speaking from experience, working from home is an exceptional perk. I\u2019ve been doing it since I started freelancing in 2014, and I wouldn\u2019t change it for the world.<\/p>\n
I have flexibility in my day for doctor\u2019s appointments, lunch with my husband, or going to the gym.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no commute time, and I can spend the day working in loungewear with my dogs around me. And as someone with a chronic illness, I\u2019m typically able to keep working even when I don\u2019t feel well; that wouldn\u2019t be the case with an in-office job.<\/p>\n
There are, however, hardships to working from home. For many, it\u2019s been a sometimes bumpy transition, with challenges like poor internet access or home equipment, difficulty collaborating with a team, and even kids barging in on important Zoom calls<\/a>.<\/p>\n So how can remote work be effective, productive, and enjoyable? In this post, we\u2019re going to look at nine work-from-home tips that we all need, backed by science and tested by your friendly neighborhood freelancer!<\/p>\n This is the most important thing that you can do when you want to work remotely.<\/p>\n Set up a quiet workspace that you use pretty exclusively for work. It should be a distraction-free, comfortable space somewhere in your home where you can work relatively undisturbed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For some, that may be a clean, clutter-free desk in a corner of your house. For others, you might need to be behind a closed door, even if it\u2019s in an unused guest room, where family members can\u2019t barge in on a meeting to ask for snacks.<\/p>\n Here are a few quick tips that can help:<\/p>\n I can\u2019t stress this enough\u2014 have a basic routine to get your day started.<\/p>\n This will look different for each person.<\/p>\n Maybe you get ready, make a nice breakfast, get the kids ready for school, and then head to work.<\/p>\n For others it may mean a morning walk, have a coffee and catch up on social media for twenty minutes, and then dive in.<\/p>\n I typically wake up, get dressed, have a light breakfast on the porch while I throw a ball for one of our dogs, and then come inside.<\/p>\n You want to feel ready to work, and you want to be relaxed to start your day. Starting your day consistently can help you feel more ready to clock in, and it becomes part of a routine. An established routine<\/a> can give you a feeling of consistency that can start your day right.<\/p>\n One of the downsides to working from home is that you may not automatically have the tools or technology that might otherwise come standard with an office.<\/p>\n My husband, for example, was used to two computer screens at work, so he needed to buy a second when he switched to work from home.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re using a personal laptop instead of a company device, you might also need to figure out how to gain access to the software needed to do your job well.<\/p>\n This may also mean upgrading the internet, getting a new mobile phone, or buying any other tech you need.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re self-employed, you can write these off as business expenses to reduce taxes.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re an employee, ask if a stipend is available for setting up your home office. And if not, work in order of priority\u2014 what do you need to get the job done well?<\/p>\n This is a particularly important tip for traditional employees, but it can apply to freelancers and business owners, too.<\/p>\n Having established, consistent work hours is important. And if that\u2019s not possible, at least have designated clock-out times that are truly your end of workday.<\/p>\n Once you work from home, the work\/life balance can be great\u2026 but it can also be skewed because the line between work and home becomes blurred<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There\u2019s no walking out the door at the end of the day to signal work\u2019s end, and you can easily find yourself working on your laptop through the movie your spouse was excited to watch with you.<\/p>\n A more consistent schedule (at least most of the time) is a good start. It can help you know that it\u2019s time to clock out for the day so you don\u2019t end up consumed by work. A rare outside occasion isn\u2019t a big deal, but if you\u2019re working round-the-clock on a long-term basis, it\u2019s time to find another job.<\/p>\n This may seem counterintuitive, but if you want to be more productive, take breaks.<\/p>\n This is scientifically proven<\/a>. We\u2019re not meant to sit in front of a desk for eight hours a day with no mental breaks and just focus\u2014 it\u2019s not possible.<\/p>\n When we work with no breaks, we end up mentally fatigued. This means our productivity decreases, we get more frustrated, we start making simple mistakes, and we even end up with decision fatigue (which can mean we\u2019re more likely to make poor decisions).<\/p>\n Taking a fifteen-minute break every two hours can be life-changing. And checking work emails does not count as a break.<\/p>\n I always physically get up from my work area, whether it\u2019s to get a snack, take the dogs out, go for a short walk, or do a load of laundry while I listen to a podcast.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t eat lunch at your desk while working, and try to incorporate physical activity (even if it\u2019s just walking to another room!) to keep the blood flowing.<\/p>\n Working from home can feel a little bit disorganized from a task perspective, especially if you\u2019re used to having someone delegate tasks out or supervise progress in-office.<\/p>\n In order to make sure that you\u2019re staying focused, having a to-do list that details each task you need to complete is a good place to start.<\/p>\n This can keep you on track. You know you don\u2019t have an hour to empty out your inbox if you can see that you\u2019ve got two deadlines you need to get done. These tasks will feel more urgent, and it ensures that nothing gets missed, and that you’re staying productive.<\/a><\/p>\n You can use software like Asana<\/a> or Trello<\/a> for this, even if your company doesn\u2019t use it across the board. I typically just use my Apple Calendar for deadlines and break down individual tasks on a checklist in a Notes app.<\/p>\n Find what works for you, and stick to that.<\/p>\n This is an underrated tip that I\u2019ve never seen anyone else mention in work-from-home resources but that I\u2019ve learned is crucial.<\/p>\n Working from home can be deeply isolating if you\u2019re not careful.<\/p>\n You\u2019re home alone (or just with family\/roommates) most of the day, and by the time the day is over, you may be too tired to go out and do much. If you\u2019re not careful, you can go an entire week without leaving the house for meaningful socialization. Make plans with friends, join a fitness studio, or find a club that you want to join with weekly meetings. Even if people are still coming to your home for dinner in, and even if you\u2019re an extrovert, you need intentional social time with people who you don\u2019t already live with.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re new to the area, check out Meetup<\/a> for welcoming social groups. You can also use something like Bumble BFF<\/a> to meet new friends or professionals around you.<\/p>\n When my husband first started working from home, he\u2019d come wandering into my office a few times a day just to see what was up and how I was. It was sweet\u2026 but it was also a bit disruptive to both of our schedules.<\/p>\n Having clear boundaries with anyone living in your home is important. I know that when his office door is closed, it means he\u2019s in a meeting and to make sure the dogs (and I) stay out.<\/p>\n He knows that if I\u2019m actively typing to steer clear, because it means that I\u2019m focused and don\u2019t want my concentration broken.<\/p>\n I have friends who use an open-door policy, and some who will take breaks in a \u201cneutral\u201d part of the house where it\u2019s safe to chat about non-urgent matters.<\/p>\n Make sure that kids understand this, too. Explain what constitutes as an emergency, and which parent to talk to if they need something.<\/p>\n Sometimes you may love remote work, but working from home just is not a fit.<\/p>\n This may be the case when your office chooses to have exclusively remote work, or your office is far enough away that it\u2019s hard to go in, but working from home is distracting or unpleasant.<\/p>\n If this is the case, it is okay to throw in the towel and look into a coworking space<\/a>. You can find some with established private offices, and some that just allow you to show up, find an empty cubicle or desk and get to work. They range in price, but they\u2019re available all over the world. A new environment might even inspire you with new ideas, whether it’s from an ad you see, a poster on the wall, or cool color combos<\/a>\u00a0from the interiors of the coworking space.<\/p>\n Working from home can be wonderful. It can also be immensely difficult without the right tools, strategies, and boundaries in place.<\/p>\n The work from home tips listed above will make remote work more enjoyable and productive, allowing you to truly get the most out of this exceptional perk.<\/p>\n What do you think? How do you feel about working from home? How do you keep remote work productive and enjoyable? Let us know in the comments below!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Working from home used to be considered a luxury, reserved largely for lucky workers in select positions or freelancers. After COVID-19, however, that\u2019s no longer the case. 76% of workers say they now have a preference for working from home, and two years into the pandemic, 59% of workers who say they can work from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":10612,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8980","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized"},"yoast_head":"\n1. Create a Quiet, Distraction-Free Space<\/h2>\n
![\"work](\"https:\/\/blog.snappa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/work-from-home-office.png\")
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2. Have a Morning Routine<\/h2>\n
![\"work](\"https:\/\/blog.snappa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/work-from-home-coffee-break.png\")
\n3. Get the Tools & Tech You Need<\/h2>\n
4. Stick to Consistent Work Hours (& Don\u2019t Go Over!)<\/h2>\n
![\"work](\"https:\/\/blog.snappa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/work-from-home-hours.png\")
\n5. Take Breaks<\/h2>\n
6. Have a To-Do List Every Day<\/h2>\n
![\"work](\"https:\/\/blog.snappa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/work-from-home-todo-list.png\")
\n7. Find Social Outlets<\/h2>\n
![\"work](\"https:\/\/blog.snappa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/social-outlet-friends.png\")
<\/p>\n8. Have Boundaries with Family & Housemates<\/h2>\n
9. When In Doubt, Find a Coworking Space<\/h2>\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n