8 TIPS TO WORK FROM HOME BY SOMEONE WHO HATES WORKING FROM HOME

Working from home isn’t easy for everyone. If you’re like me and tend to get distracted easily, some of these tips might be helpful for you. The most important thing to know is that working from home requires a learning curve and you won’t get a routine nailed down right away. Try some of these ideas to be the most productive possible while at home. 1. Schedule your personal time with your work time a. Let’s think about it - when you’re at your office you’ll get up and say a quick hello to your coworkers, right? We still need small breaks here and there - just because there isn’t anyone around doesn't mean we have to stop taking time for ourselves. Schedule a social call, go on a walk, whatever will help you recharge to finish your day. 2. Create a separate home office space a. When you go into your office, your brain will switch to work mode. It’s difficult to work in an area you also relax in. Try designating a space away from your bedroom or living area to train your mind into thinking, “Now that we are in this part of the house, it’s work time.” This may also help from getting distracted with things to do around the house (I’m talking to you, pile of dirty dishes). 3. Take a 15 minute walk a. Getting out in the sunshine and moving will help get you recharged. If you really need to get some energy out, schedule a home workout over your lunch break. 4. Try to recreate your office space as best as you can a. Bring home file boxes, binders, and whatever else helps keep you organized. It’s no help when you have to try and redo all the organization you already created in your office, so try to keep it as similar as you can. This also includes your favorite pens and the photos on your desk. 5. Keep a list of people you want to keep in contact with a. It’s easy to forget who we all keep in contact with throughout the week - make sure you have a list of people who you want to stay in touch with while you work from home. This is a great tool for supervisors overseeing several employees who work from home. I facetime my office mate every day just so she can stay steadily annoyed by me in quarantine (sorry, Kaitlin). 6. Create a list of outcomes for the week (professional and personal!) a. You may want to launch a new blog, try a new recipe, update your website, and watch the entire Tiger King series. Any way you spin it, they are accomplishments and it feels really good to cross them off your list. 7. Listen to music or podcasts that help you focus a. Everyone is different. Spotify and pandora have some awesome mood playlists that will help you stay upbeat (dance breaks encouraged!). Play whatever is going to help you focus, even if it’s a podcast about serial killers. We won’t judge (well, not much anyway). 8. Don’t be so hard on yourself! a. Working from home when you normally don’t is weird. Know that you aren’t going to get it right on the first time - be open to change to try and be the most productive you can be! We are all going through a learning curve.