Tips for Working from Home

A lot of people tell me, "you have the dream situation working from home." There are some ways that is true and some ways that it isn't. For those who have never worked from home, it often appears like the easier option. For those who have always worked from home, it often feels confining. For those who have done both, most would say you can't beat the flexibility, but the work/life balance is a lot harder at home.

Think about it. Your "off" hours and your "on" hours take place within the same vicinity. When you work outside the house, it is much easier to leave your work at work, but the stress from your job at home is in the same place that you live. So here are some tips that might help! (This particularly applies to running a business, but could be for any work at home position).

1. Take your work elsewhere. Go outside, go to a coffee shop, go to a friend's house. Maybe you can't do this every day, depending on what you are doing, but once or twice a week it is good to take your computer somewhere outside the home and work. It gives you a fresh perspective and makes the home office less confining.

2. Create a separate workspace. Make sure you have an office that is not in the same room you unwind after a work day. Speaking from experience this is the worst pitfall you can fall in. "Out of sight, out of mind" is so true in this situation. It is important when you are home and not working that your mind turns off work, otherwise you will burn out. Your computer and supplies should be in a different room than where you relax.

3. Stick to a routine. You need to give yourself set hours and reasonable goals. Be like normal people and grocery shop in the evenings or weekends, instead of taking a chunk of the work day and then working at night. Don't set too high standards for yourself. Yes make goals, but put 1-3 things on your list for the day and be proud if you even only accomplished one! If it's hard to stay motivated, try to eliminate things that cause distractions like your phone from your work environment. Consistency is key!

Now that I wrote all these tips, I need to take my own advice!