Disclosure: As a career writer and Work Life Management expert, I have partnered with Boise Paper to share Work Life Management tips.
Working from home has its challenges. Learn my tips for being efficient and working smarter, not harder while working from home.
More and more professionals are working from home these days. Whether you own your own business, or have the option of tackling your workload in the comfort of the home office, its a practice that can be difficult. With so many distractions and in more casual surroundings, working from home isn’t easy. But with a little initiative, proactivity, and creativity, it can be a positive experience.
Work Life Management is the act of executing and overseeing one’s work life and personal life in a positive way. I’m sharing a few Work Life Management tips when working from home that you can utilize right away to assist you in getting the most out of both your worlds.
Designated Work Hours
Working from home can cause you to work more hours than you would at your typical workspace because you are doing business while in your living space. Because there’s no superior to report to on-sight and you don’t have clock-in or clock-out privileges, you can find yourself working day in and day out. Don’t make this habit. Instead, create designated work hours and post them on your home office door or in your work area as a reminder to you and others. This will help you stick to those hours and help your family utilize boundaries. You can use Boise POLARIS Multipurpose paper to create a sign that notifies you and your family of your work hours.
Try not to conduct business in areas of your home that are supposed to be used for rest and relaxation or other activities (i.e. the bedroom, living room, family room, or kitchen). Keep all office supplies and equipment in that area, and use it only while working.
45/15 min Rule
Being sedentary is often the result of working from home. Not much movement is required—no walking to and from the parking lot, taking the stairs to your floor, or visiting other offices or conference rooms. All of those things make you move while working in an office, but when working from home, you have to be proactive.
This is where the 45/15 minute rule comes in. For every 45 minutes of sit-down time, get up and move for 15 minutes. This could be walking the dog, walking in place while on a conference call, or even doing a few yoga poses while you take a break. Set a timer on your computer or smart phone to nudge you when it’s time to move.
Time Management Apps
When working from home, time management can be hard to navigate because you are often working alone, without someone to keep you on track. Time management applications can assist in keeping you on track so that you can be productive. Apps like SelfControl were created to help keep you from being distracted on Facebook or other sites while you should be working. Todoist also works as your assistant to help you stay on top of your daily tasks. You can read more about productivity apps and time management tools HERE.
Reward System
There are so many distractions when working from home. In order to keep you productive and on task, set up a reward system that will help motivate you. This can be anything from a massage at the spa to dinner at one of your favorite restaurants. Set up the reward to match your goal, and this can help keep you focused.
Inspiration
Since there aren’t any teams or colleagues in your home that can give you support and encouragement physically, you can use visuals to drive you. Take some of your favorite quotes, add a frame, and use them as desk decor–and as a reminder to reach for success.
The quote seen in this post was printed on Boise POLARIS Multipurpose paper, and truly inspires.
Ask for Assistance
You should never feel like working from home means that you have to do it alone. Asking for assistance when needed is key to being successful, no matter where you work. Hire an assistant or intern if you can, or ask for someone from your home office to work with you virtually. This can help you truly harness your power and get the most out of your workday.
Working from home can be a challenge, but with these suggestions, you can get a lot achieved.
What are some of your tips for working from home?
Thanks so much for the great tips! Working from home has definite advantages, but it can swallow up your life if you’re not careful!
You are so welcome! Hoping the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for everyone reading. 🙂
Working from home can be difficult to manage at first. These are great tips to keep yourself on track.
Thank you so much! Even after 5 years of working at home, I’m still learning how-to.
These are excellent tips. I am looking for a work at home job but not having much luck. I do miss the social interaction of working around others. I am hoping that I find a job soon.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you, Christy!
I am absolutely loving the 45/15 rule. It is such a struggle for me to work from home with zero childcare so I need all of the tips and structure/scheduling advice that I can get!
Thanks for commenting. The 45/15 min rule helps me stay active while working from home. I look forward to the “breaks”, too.
Lots of true points here! There needs to be a work/life balance if you are working from home! Designated hours are a must – so you stay on top of top and still see your family!
Sometimes as a full time blogger I get overwhelmed and don’t get as much done as I would in a workplace setting. These tips will help, thanks for sharing!
I’ve been working from home this year, and while it has its perks, it definitely has its downsides too! I agree with the time management stuff, that is a killer!
These are really great tips! I have to remember the 45/15 min rule. Sometimes I get so caught up in what I’m doing that I didn’t know I’ve been sitting for hours already. I just realize it when I started having a neck pain already. 🙁
It’s really hard to stay on task when working from home and really easy to let it blur the lines between work and home. Keeping it straight is key to keeping your sanity.
I agree , working from home always make me ending up long hours due of distractions. I like the flexibility of it though.
Working from home is awesome, but it does limit activity levels. On the days I work from home, I try to take a long walk in the morning to ensure I am getting this body moving!
Working from home can be difficult to manage! These are great tips to keep yourself on track.