It has been one year since I have been working from home. I can’t believe that sometimes. I love working from home more than I thought I would. To be honest, I was a little worried because I thought I would be tempted or distracted with things around the house. I like for things to be clean and organized before I can focus on other things. For example, before I sit down and write I need to make sure the area is clean. Working from home has been a learning process through a lot of trial and error. Some things I have learned working from home, but the biggest downfall is the isolation. ;
- Set Work Hours – Lucky for me, my hours are set by my employer. There are times that I can change them, but for the most part, I work Monday – Friday 8-4:30. If I didn’t have set hours for me, I think I would work these hours or come in a little later. If the workflow allowed it, I would work early in the morning. I am much more productive in the morning than in the afternoon.
- Take Breaks – I try to get away from my computer every hour throughout the day because I look at a computer screen all day. Part of my job is to be available and stay within a certain range, but I have never had any problems with those ranges even when I take breaks. I do work with in customer service, so unfortantely I get some bad calls. If I need a longer break, I just message my managers that I am taking a quick break. We also have staff meetings every week, so that’s a nice break from being on the phones.
- Have a Specific Workspace – One of the requirements to work from home is to have a specific workspace. I had to provide photos of where my office set up would be. I like that I have specific workspace because I have to have that boundary between work and home. I read somewhere that having a specific space helps train your brain what it needs to do. If you are working and doing everything from your bed, the brain doesn’t know that’s where it sleeps to relax at night. I also notice when I go into the 2nd bedroom, I am more productive and focused. I know that’s my workspace. It has been a work in progress, but I have created a space I want to be. I am slowly adding things to the walls.
- Limit Distractions – Distractions are everywhere whether you work from home for a company or for yourself. There is always something looking for our attention. The best way I limit distractions is by shutting the door. When I shut the door everything is quiet and I can focus on the tasks. Sometimes I have to put my phone on the other side of the room or in the other room.
- To-Do List – To-do Lists can be an effective tool in being productive. I know for me, that to do list work best on keeping me on track for the day. I like to write my to do list the night before. I also have an week planned out, and if I think of something i put in that google calendar.
- Meet-Up with Friends – Working from home can be very isolating when Make a plan to meet with friends at least once a week. For me, it’s trivia on Friday nights. Working from home can make you became a hermit if you let it – speaking from experience. If I don’t have a reason, I won’t leave my house.
- Dress the Part – One of the “rules” I set for myself is to dress up every day. I had purchased a lot of clothes when I was working in the office, and I didn’t want that to go to waste. I have been really bad about that rule, but I do get ready for work everyday. There have been times I have worn the same thing over and over, and I can tell my productivity is not the same.
- Invest in Yourself – Invest in a good chair, a standing desk, walking pad, blue light glasses, blue light screen protector.
- Be Organized – I have to have order or else it bothers me. Everyday before I leave I have to make sure my desk is clean. My desk needs to be clean and organized – even my drawers.
- Saving Money – I knew that I would save some money by working from home, but I didn’t think that I would save this much money. When I working from the office, I know that I spent a lot of money in the cafeteria. Now I don’t spend that money, I don’t travel to work so save on gas. I can wear whatever so no uniforms.
Working from home has been a blast, and overall I am loving it. Yeah, it does it a little isolating sometimes but I know I can reach out to my friends and co-workers. This list is just the beginning of things I have learned working from home. All of the benefits of working for the company I do and our department managers are the best and most understanding that outweigh the negatives. I am glad that I have my full time job, but it allows me to be more creative here.
