Tips for Working From Home

I have been in the minority of people whose entire day to day life has not been drastically turned upside down in the last couple of days. I’m so grateful that I have a job where I am able to continue working from my home office without much disruption to my routine. Since I’ve been working from home for several years (and really enjoying it), I’ve decided to share some things that I have found to be helpful in creating a successful routine without losing your mind.  

Have a morning routine. 

Create a morning routine for yourself and don’t skip it. That may look like waking up early to work out, making coffee, yoga, journaling, doing a meditation, a daily devotion, writing gratitudes, making breakfast, or any combination of these things. It may be tempting to jump right into emails or your to-do list, but I highly recommend implementing a morning routine; it can really set the tone for your work day and set you up for success.

Get ready for the day. 

Take a shower and get ready for the day. It really does affect have an affect on your productivity and make you feel like a real human being. As tempting as it is to stay in pajamas or workout clothes since you’re not going out, it can make you feel sluggish and eventually lead you to feeling depressed, unproductive, and like you’re floundering with no purpose if you do it too many days in a row. 

Have a designated workspace.

Have a place to work that is not your bed or your couch. Even if you don’t have a designated office space, I highly recommend having a separate workspace set up only for working. Set up shop in a spare bedroom, dining room, or the kitchen table if you need to. Again, it will help with productivity and also help you be able to disconnect from work when it’s time and still have a separate place to relax in later in the evening. 

Take Breaks. 

It’s easy to get in the zone and put off taking breaks. You say to yourself, “once I finish this task or that task I’ll take a break” and then the next thing you know three hours have gone by and you haven’t moved from the same hunched over sitting position in your chair. It’s important to get up, move around, leave your working area, and get some fresh air, take a short walk. Your mind and body will thank you. 

Have set working hours and stick to them. 

I think this one might be the most important in helping disconnect from work mode and into home-life. My husband usually goes to work in an office everyday, but he  is currently working from home now too, so we are trying to work roughly the same hours. We take our dog on a walk every. single. day. We normally walk him sometime in the evenings either before or after dinner. Now we are going to start walking him right after we are done working so that it creates a noticeable change in our environment. We’re going to get outside and get some fresh air, and change our scenery in hopes that it will help us disconnect from work and transition into our evening routine. Once we get back we know that we can relax, work on personal projects, start dinner, or anything else needs to be done around the house, but no more working for the night. If you’re used to working in an office and having a commute it might be harder to disconnect from work and into home life, and I think taking a walk outside might be just the thing to help. 

Stay in touch with people.

Working from home when you’re used to being in an office, surrounded by people and having little conversations throughout the day will definitely be an adjustment. Don’t forget to check in with people. Just because we can't be together in person during this time doesn't mean you have to feel all alone. Digital communication, text, and phone calls can go a long way in not feeling so isolated. Call your mom, your dad, your sister,  call your friends, check in with coworkers, send a text. Even keeping your pet in the same room with you while you work makes such a difference. Our dog, Walnut, sleeps under my desk all day long and it really makes a big difference for me not feeling like I’m alone.

These are things that have worked for me over the years creating balance and a routine. Let know if you have things that have helped you! Hopefully this can help some of you ease into working at home during these uncertain times. We’re all in this together.