Here are some awesome tips to help you look forward to a productive year if you work from home. These are ideas that you’ll actually want to do, rather than the usual new year resolutions.
Find a system (and stick to it)
Create an organizing system that keeps everything in it’s place like this corner in a bedroom.
It doesn’t have to be so elaborate. All you need is a desk, and a drawer, cabinet or basket to keep everything tidy.
With everything put away, it’s easier to transition to home life & not return to work.
Begin & end your workday with mindfulness
Take a moment at your desk in the morning before you begin, and take a deep breath & focus. Mentally lay aside your home to-do list. Think about the 3 most important things that need to be done at work today, and rehearse your day’s schedule in your mind. Keep your eyes closed until you know that you’ve got a laser focus on your business tasks at hand.
When you’re finished work for the day, take another mindfulness moment to help you transition into home life. Pause for poise. Let go of your work day stress, and think about your plans for the evening. Keep your eyes closed until all thoughts of work are gone, and you’re ready for some me time.
Remember to take breaks
Some people find it difficult to transition to working at home. They either get caught up in work and miss regular lunch & break patterns or they spend too much time distracted.
Try to schedule lunch hour and morning and afternoon breaks just like at the office.
Others prefer the Pomodoro Technique, which is breaking your day up into 25-minute chunks of work, with 5-minute rest periods. They swear that it makes them more alert and much more productive.
Don’t take Phone calls or Texts. (Yes, you heard me right.)
Don’t you hate all the chit chat that you have to do on phone calls? Or texts that go on and on – why didn’t they just call? Don’t waste time with phone calls or texts anymore.
Use Voice Note to send and receive messages. You can use WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or your iPhone, Android or with Google Assistant. Then turn your phone off and get work done, knowing you won’t miss a thing.
Don’t check business e-mails on home time.
Don’t check your business emails at breakfast or after work hours. Focus on yourself, and connecting with friends and family. It’s very important to set boundaries for a work/life balance, especially when you work from home.
Even if checking emails is all you do, it makes you feel like you’re working 24/7. It’s important to give your brain a chance to wind down and for your body to have a chance to de-stress.
As you begin a new year, there’s fresh hope. Hope for productivity that surpasses last year now that you’ve got the past lessons of working from home under your belt. And hope with these new tools to make it so much easier. We wish you all the luck in the world for the coming year. May it be your best ever.
It’s your turn.
Do you work from home? What’s your secret to maintaining a healthy work/life balance?
Show us a photo of your at-home workspace!
