Tips on Working from Home

Whenever I mention to someone that I work from home, I often get a response along these lines: “Wow, I could never do that. How do you get anything done?”

True, naps and Netflix binges can be tempting. But I’ve found that working from home can be more productive than working in an office, where you’re often being pulled into meetings and your coworker wants to explain to you in detail why Dark Phoenix fails hard.

Here are my best tips and tricks for making working from home work for you.

Set your alarm. If you’re not a morning person, it can be easy to sleep late and work late instead of getting started first thing in the morning. But if your job involves responding to emails, talking on the phone, or attending virtual meetings, you’ll need to be “at the office” during standard business hours. And even if it doesn’t, it’s easier to transition gently into the workday when you get an earlier start. Which leads me to my next point…

Don’t work in your pajamas. It’s so easy to roll out of bed and go straight to your computer, but fight that impulse! Getting ready in the morning just as you would to go to an office—shower, coffee, real clothes—helps draw a line between your working hours and relaxation hours. And I’ve found that when I’m wearing real clothes, I feel more professional, confident, and energetic.

Build breaks into your day. No one can work full-throttle all day long; we need breaks to keep our minds healthy and focused. Don’t feel guilty if you spend a break watching TV, folding laundry, or calling a friend—that’s one of the benefits of working from home! Just make sure you keep an eye on the clock and don’t let those twenty minutes turn into two hours. Bonus points if you get moving on your breaks: a walk around the block is good for both body and mind.

Use apps to stay on task. If you find that you’re repeatedly checking social media or you’re staying on it longer than you should, try using an app that blocks distractions. There’s a great list of these on Zapier. And if you’re looking for accountability—goals reminders, scheduling, to-do lists, and so on—there’s an app for that! Forbes lists a bunch here.

Keep a to-do list. This one sounds so basic, and yet it’s been key for me. You can use an app like those mentioned above if you like to have everything digital, but you don’t have to. I have a bullet journal that’s essentially a collection of monthly and daily to-do lists: the monthly ones help me keep track of longer-term goals and semiregular chores, like getting the oil changed or paying my quarterly taxes, while the daily ones help me plan out what I need to get done each day. Having everything written down means no more stress from trying to remember what I have to do.

Get a dog. There’s nothing as effective as taking care of a dog to keep you on a schedule—and, even better, get you out the door. An early morning walk before your day begins, a walk at lunchtime and/or in the early evening, and bam, you’re getting fresh air and a little exercise, and your day is punctuated with breaks from the computer. (Plus, it’s a dog! I mean, why wouldn’t you get a dog?)

Get thee to a coffeehouse. If you’re having trouble focusing or reruns of The Office are calling your name, take your work on the road. Most coffeehouses offer WiFi (though, surprisingly, not all), and it’s easier to get work done without all the distractions at home. And even if you don’t interact with anyone besides the barista, having people around can help you feel less isolated and more like part of the world.

Or to a library. I personally like the background noise of a coffeehouse, but if you work better in silence, your local library is a good option—it gets you out of the house to a place where distractions are few so you can focus on your work. A word to the wise about WiFi, though: some public libraries limit the number of guests who can access their WiFi at one time, so if you need to be connected to do your work, you may be out of luck, especially at busier times.