5 Tips to Create a Successful ‘Work from Home’ Lifestyle

Working from home has become much more common in the past decade, but I doubt any of us expected this to be the new normal for 2020. If you’re working remotely for the first time on a full-time basis, you might be looking for some tips to adjust to your “work from home” lifestyle.

It can be easy to fall off of a schedule, keep your PJs on, and camp out on the couch, but doing so may start to affect your productivity as well as your mental well-being. These tips will not only help you maintain structure, focus, and productivity, but also support your mental well-being while working at home:

1. Stick to a Routine:

If your regular routine is getting up at 6:00 am, exercising, taking a shower, and grabbing a cup of coffee, do your best to stick to your daily regime. As enticing as it may seem to stay in your pajamas all day, this is not the best habit to fall into. Now, nobody is saying you have to put on formal attire, but maintaining a business casual wardrobe will make you feel more confident and productive.  That two-day un-showered look may be fine for your cat or dog to see, but you never know when you’re going to need to jump on a web conference.  You will also find yourself having a more structured workday by creating and maintaining office hours. It is inevitable that you might have to re-prioritize your day or change up your routine, but if you track your time and how you spend it, you will start to see trends, and you will be able to reassess your schedule to create the ideal workday.

2. Designate your Workspace:

There are many more distractions at home that can disrupt your productivity. After all, your workspace is now in your personal space. Maybe the dog needs to go out, or the kids are wondering what’s for lunch, the dishes are starting to pile in the sink, and the laundry needs to be done. If you’re not used to working from home, having personal and professional boundaries is the key to being successful.

The first step for setting up your home office is to find a quiet designated space (with a door if you can). Avoid spaces with a lot of distractions like the living room or the kitchen table. This also doesn’t always mean you need to stick to the same space, but you should have a designated area you can go to where you have the tools to get things done efficiently. Make sure you have the essentials you need, such as a laptop, an extra monitor, a printer/scanner, etc. The goal would be to make it as similar to your office workspace as much as possible with a little personal flair and inspiration!

3. Take Breaks and Plan Meals:

When working from home, you’re more responsible for managing your workload. Make a plan for your day by creating blocks of time on your calendar of the different tasks you need to accomplish throughout the day. Don't forget to include breaks for yourself. For example, take some time to take a walk around the block, throw in a load of laundry, or make the kids a snack, make sure you're still getting up to move around periodically.

Another important factor in working from home is fighting the temptation to snack. It may be hard to fight the urge with all your favorites at your fingertips, but paying attention to healthy eating can prevent sugar-crash and boost productivity and energy levels throughout the day.  Planning meals and snacks can be beneficial when trying to stick to a routine. Try to be mindful of making healthy choices and don’t over-indulge just because it’s there.

4. Set Boundaries

Do you have other people in the house that you need to share your space with? Maybe you have a significant other who is also working from home now, and the kids are out of school. Or perhaps you only have a four-legged friend acting as your personal assistant. If this is the case, you need to start by respecting each other’s working hours. You might be lucky enough to log off at 5 pm, but if your partner is still on the job, you might want to refrain from binge-watching your favorite Netflix show in the same room. You could also invest in noise-cancelling headphones if you need complete quiet to work. Depending on the age of your children, you will want to come up with some time to explore, learn and play with them so you can be fully present in each of your activities, whether it’s being an at-home teacher or doing the necessary duties of your normal job.

5. Take Up a Hobby

When working from home, you have a more flexible schedule, and you’re not losing time commuting to and from work. You can now make time for the hobby of your choice or take up a side project. Maybe you’ve wanted to take up yoga, or you’ve been putting off painting the spare bedroom, now is the time to make it happen!

Working from home was once a luxury to most of us, and now it has become our new reality, but that doesn’t mean you need to break your routine completely. Try to embrace the change. Even though life might be looking a little bit different, there are a lot of perks that come along with this flexibility. Stay focused and do your best to take advantage of this time.