Let me start off by saying, I personally love working from home. I get twice as much work done, it saves me a lot of money, and it’s just really zen and peaceful. But, I know not everyone has a peaceful work from home situation like I do. So, I’m here to share some work from home tips to help make your MFH space more organized, peaceful, and productive.
Here we go.
Work from home tip #1 – set yourself and your family a schedule. I know, I know, you’ve heard this a million times, but it really is important. Otherwise, you’ll go to sleep whenever, wake up whenever or feel super groggy and tired in the morning, you’ll eat all day long and gain the “quarantine fifteen”, you’ll never get any work done because your kids don’t have a schedule and are taking up all of your attention, etc.
So setting a schedule (for everyone in your house) is crucial. Or at least make a schedule for yourself and tell your significant other, or your roommate(s), or your parents that THIS is your schedule and DO NOT DISTURB MY SCHEDULE. Haha, they’ll love it. But you’ll be a lot more organized and productive if you do.
Here’s what my schedule looks like:
7am – wake up, brush teeth, morning skincare routine
8am – plan the day, Google Calendar, to-do list, pick-up around the house
9am – answer emails, work
10am – make and eat breakfast (intermittent fasting), put on makeup and fix hair (optional)
11am-2pm – work
2pm – make and eat lunch
3-5pm – work
5pm – free time
6pm – make and eat dinner
7pm – free time
8pm – exercise
9pm – free time
10pm – nighttime skincare routine, get in bed, read
11pm – go to sleep, if not already
I don’t have kids so my schedule is probably a lot more mellow than those who do have kids. Read this post about Virtual Learning at Home to help make a schedule for kids!
Work from home tip #2 – make yourself a work space. It can be the kitchen table, the dining room table, an actual home office, or you can turn the guest bedroom into an office (like I just did). Just don’t work from the couch or from the bed. Because then you’ll take naps all day or just be a couch potato. You need a real “office space” to work at and lay your planner out and your notebook and to-do lists and whatever else you need to be productive.
I keep a lavender candle on my desk, cute candle jars to hold my pens, a little mouse and mouse pad for my laptop, Laneige Lip Treatment Mask so my lips stay hydrated, a coaster and water bottle full of lemon water to keep my body hydrated, The Daily Stoic to ready every day, and my Ban.do planner.
Work from home tip #3 – listen to educational podcasts or calming music while you work. If you have the TV on or you’re listening to your favorite playlist, you’ll get distracted and not be productive. I like to listen to educational podcasts like The Skinny Confidential Him & Her podcast (they interview a lot of successful business people and talk about time management, business strategy, social media techniques, etc.), The Influencer Podcast with Julie Solomon, and Online Marketing Made Easy. Or I’ll find “zen music” or “meditation music” on Spotify and listen to that while I work.
I love listening to the educational podcasts though because they get me motivated to work and reach my goals each day. Plus I learn a lot about business, sales, marketing, time management, organization, etc.
Work from home tip #4 – take breaks. I don’t think it’s healthy to sit at a desk looking down at a computer screen for 8 consecutive hours every day. Get up and walk around the house, see what your roommates/significant other/parents/kids are up to, take your dogs for a walk, take a lap around the block, do a 30 minute workout, and so on.
I know it’s easy to get in the zone and sit at your desk for hours and hours working on a project, but it’s also good to take a short break and give your mind a break so you come back refreshed and maybe have more ideas for the project or whatever you are working on.
Work from home tip #5 – dress the part. Now, I’m not saying to put on a suit or heels or anything, but just waking up in the morning, putting on a little mascara, brushing your hair, and putting on a comfy dress or leggings and a cute top will help you feel more productive and less like a slob. It’s very easy to wake up and just stay in your pajamas all day, but that’s just going to make you feel lazy and we don’t accomplish a lot when we feel lazy. It’s all about your mindset. If you wake up and put effort into the way you look, you will feel more confident, therefore you will work more confidently and get more work done!
Work from home tip #6 – make a morning routine. Morning routines are so important because that sets the tone for your entire day. If you wake up late, scramble out of bed, run to your computer, and jump on a conference call, your cortisol levels will be through the roof and your whole day will be out of control.
Instead, if you wake up and have a peaceful, low-stress morning, your whole day will be peaceful and low-stress. I like to wake up to a nice wind chime sound that eases me wake (instead of the EH EH EH EH EH alarm sound), drink some lemon water, do a quick 10 minute meditation instead of looking at my phone, do my skincare routine, read the day’s page out of The Daily Stoic, set my intention for the day, drink coffee while I watch the morning news and plan out my to-do list for the day. And then of course start working. That way, by the time I start working, my mind is already awake, alert and stimulated so I can think more clearly and I’m less groggy.
So these are my 6 work from home tips. Working from home doesn’t have to lead to a burnout. Working from home is a great time to start a new diet and stick to it, getting more steps in and be healthier, getting into a better, more productive routine, and spending more time with your family. I also take breaks to get more house projects done and our house is really getting a good face lift right now. I feel more productive than ever when I work from home, so follow these work from home tips and you can, too!
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