Nine Tips To Ensure You Work From Home Successfully

Blog | September 19th, 2020

It has been a huge adjustment for most of us to switch from going into an office every day to setting up our office at home. It has been a struggle for most to separate home life from being in work mode because now they have become one and the same. Bringing work home from the office is already difficult, but now we have no choice and must learn effective ways to separate the two.

Some people thrive in these self-motivated situations, but many do not. Whichever one you are, we all have the same concerns with having our work and home life merging together quickly and unexpectedly. How do you separate the two? How do you not get distracted by kids, spouses, and the ever-changing news?

Here are nine tips to ensure you work from home successfully and to make this transition as easy as possible!

1. Get Ready As If You Are Going To The Office

This tip might sound simple, but now you are working from home. Home is the place where most people feel comfortable walking around in loungewear and pajamas. Getting ready for the day as if you are going to the office will help put you in the work mode mindset. You will feel better than rolling out of bed and turning on your computer for your Zoom meeting, while forgetting you are still in your robe.

2. Keep A Routine

Get up. Get ready. Eat breakfast. Enjoy your coffee. You should try to continue your normal routine! Now you can actually enjoy that time because you don’t have to stress about the rush hour traffic and morning commute! What a relief! If you keep a routine, you will be more likely to stay on task and avoid the distractions of what is happening around your home.

Related: Everything You Should Stock Up On In September

3. Set Office Hours

This is an important tip since you are home it can feel like the workday never ends. You want to make sure you keep time for yourself and your family. Most jobs may already have those hours set for you, but make sure you stick to them. Make sure you clearly define your office hours to your family or roommates! If your normal workday at your office ends at 5 p.m., then make sure your WFH workday ends at that same time. Stop checking emails and answering phone calls when you reach your set end time.

4. Organization

Working from home can feel very overwhelming at times with so much going on in one space. One way to make sure you stay focused is to stay organized. Eliminate your desk clutter and make sure your office space has some sort of organization, so you know where everything is. It will be less stressful for you when things pile up. Filing folders and an office organizer are a great start to organizing.

Check out this organization combo here.

5. Create A Comfortable Workspace

Being comfortable in your office space is important. There is nothing worse than sitting at a desk all day and being uncomfortable. Make sure you have an ergonomic chair and laptop stand, or standing desk if you prefer that option. Make sure whatever it is, that you are comfortable with for the time that you are going to have to spend in your workspace.

Check out these chairs and these laptop stands!

6. Communication Is Key

Stay in constant contact with your boss, coworkers, and spouse. You need to make sure you are getting the work done that needs to be done. Make sure your spouse knows when you are working and when you are on your lunch break – this is obviously trickier when kids and virtual learning are involved. Communication will help you not feel so overwhelmed and will help you make sure you’re on the same page.

7. Pick The Right Location

Not everyone has a spare room or office space at home. Most have been setting up their office wherever possible. Try to make sure you set up your workspace outside of your bedroom, to keep the separation of work and home. Consider a quiet place in your home or one with minimal distractions in the background.

8. Stay On Task

An efficient way to stay on task is to purchase a planner or desk calendar. You can outline or list what you need to get done for the day and week ahead. If you are feeling extra motivated, you can even create a color-coordinated task list to prioritize what you need to get done. For urgent work tasks, highlight it in yellow, and for home tasks, you can highlight it in blue.

Amazon has a great selection of desk calendars and planners to get you started!

9. Take A Walk

Try to take a short break every hour; walk to get some water, refill your coffee, grab a snack, or take a bathroom break. Even if it’s just a few minutes, make sure you are not sitting at your workspace your entire 8-hour workday. You want to keep your mind clear and body moving – it gives you a nice reset.