10 Tips for Working from Home

(Last Updated On: June 9, 2020)

Quartine or No Quartine, I love working from home. Personally I achieve a lot more on my completed list if I don’t go into an office setting to work. Well, It looks like most of us will be working from home for the foreseeable future, and I wanted to share a few tips I’ve learned from over the days.

Even when you sit down, to read this, I am sure you are pretty distracted by other things that will constantly be running in your mind! Did I do Laundry? What do I eat for Lunch today? I need to empty the dishwasher and reload it. Did my Amazon package arrive? My wardrobe needs a switch, what’s new on Macy’s sale today? Boy, this room needs redecoration, the furniture is so out of style! Trust me, I know this lingering can go on and on. Battling this endless spree of distractions is the first step towards disciplining yourself for working from home.

So let’s get to it. Here is how you can make your everyday productive working from home and also enjoy some quintessential family time (Lets not forget that is one of the reasons most of us enjoy working remote right?)

1. Stick to your AM Routine!

Set your alarm to the same time you usually wake up and try to stick to your regular morning routine(your morning coffee or AM workout). It is important to start your day early , trust me, it gives you a lot of time to get at-least 50% of your work done. I wake up at the same time everyday and try to follow my morning routine which involves morning workout (yoga/run), making my cup of detox drink, reading emails and catching up with Mom over phone.

Even if you are not a morning person, just draft out your morning routine and try stick to it. A good morning routine can set your entire day up for success.

2. To Do list!!!!

I am a big, big, big advocate of To-do lists. I am not ashamed to tell you guys, that my to do list includes the smallest things like fold out clothes, call to get a hair appointment and apply a face pack. Writing out a To-do list every morning will make the day look less daunting, more organized and help you stay focused on each task. Every morning, I make a to do list chalking down everything I have to do and then prioritize them. I use Upword app on my phone to constantly update my list anytime. Aww that pleasure of crossing things off as I go!

3. Dress not to Impress but to be productive.

It’s incredibly tempting to work from your pajamas all day, but that quickly recedes to me lazying up and wasting my day. An early morning shower and getting dressed will help you feel active and route you through a productive day. It’s basically tricking your mind “get dressed, you have a lot of work ahead today!” Quick Tip: Even workout clothes help.

4. Set up your Home Office!

Ever tried working from your couch and ended up watching TV, or from your bed and ended up dozing. That was me 80% of the time. It is really crucial, you set up a dedicated space to work at home, which is comfortable and sets the right work enviroment. The kitchen table is fine if that’s all that you have, but try to find a room where you can actually shut the door and cut yourself off of all distractions. Find yourself a comfortable chair and table which are ergonomically suited and set up the space with some bright and airy vibe. Where you work also plays a big part to your productivity.

set up a home office- a dedicated space to work — A peek into my home office

5. Schedule a workout

Don’t burn out your brains, burn out those calories. All work !work! work! , can get you a little fried and worked up. Try to sneak in a workout, either in the morning or even in the middle of the day to get your mind off of work and do something that will keep you healthy and happy. I do yoga/sculpt or HIIT workout in the morning and do a dance routine in the evening. Some in home workout apps that I am obessed with are Obe fitnesss and corepower yoga. Obe Fitness especially has a great variety of routines from different instructor and equipment sets. I switch it up with Yoga/ Sculpt and HIIT/boxing routines which lasts for 28-45 mins and keeps you energized throughout the day.

workout once a day — Yoga Sculpt in my backyard

6. Take breaks

Breaks can help IMMENSELY if you are working from home! I take 10 minutes break every 2 hour that I am working, to make a snack, or check Instagram. I also suggest don’t cut your lunch break short. Take your time to prepare that healthy bowl of salad while you watch maybe an episode of Friends or Office or your favorite Netflix show. That is the beauty of being at home, after all!

7. Get outside

Being cooped up inside the house for more than 6-7 hours can get a little uncomfortable. So I go for a 15-30 mins walk either for a mid afternoon stretch sesh with my friend or a coffee walk with my husband once a day. Helps me take things of my head and get refreshed. Not leaving your home all day can be mentally tough, so I urge you all to take out 15 mins of your day to get out for a walk, admire some spring blooms, catch up with a friend or even walk your dog.

8. Strictly No Distractions!

No Phones, No TV, No Media when you are working. Try to get your 100% concentration on work from 9-5. You can set some ground rules with other people who share your space with. For example, we try to stick to No TV until sunset only to better channel our time and energy to get our work done to avoid any stretching after 5pm. Also if both of us are working from home, we try to be in separate rooms… otherwise it is too temping to talk to each other and get distracted.

Try another one from me, be away from your phones other than during the break time; Trust me this is the biggest distraction ever. And don’t ever try to do other household chores during work time; schedule a different time for these chores and try to do them one task a day. ( You can’t be a superhuman in one day)

9. Socialize

If only our computer could talk back and catch up with our gossip while we work, the days of social distancing would be a cake walk. But until then, let’s take a break from our screen and also socialize with others. I urge you to take a small coffee break in your 9-5 work from home schedule and engage in a quick chat with the folks at your place. Another best way to socialize is with a Facetime or Skype calls so that you can see the person face to face. Catch up with an old friend, your colleagues, your parents or grandparents at-least once a day. It will make you feel a little more you!

10. Set a good Schedule of Work

What you will soon find (if you haven’t already) is that your body has already set up a schedule for you and you just need to organize it a little better and follow along! To better structure your work, set up a schedule; Now if you are comfortable with an actual timetable, go ahead do that. But otherwise just set up a quick outline of your day and the tasks you want to accomplish and how you want to manage some time to get to it. The goal is to not have your professional life bleed into your personal one. Equally divide time for your professional work, workout, lunch and dinner, household work and family and try to maintain a good work life balance. Otherwise its easy to sleep in, fall out of shape, become antisocial and eventually realize that your work from home has quickly turned into work all day!

Here is an example of how my day looks:

Everyone has obviously their own schedule and trust me, my own schedule looks a little different each day based on what I prioritize for the day, but I try to stick to the same underlying routine most days and it has helped me be so productive. Hopefully this gives you a little insight into how you can organize your day working from home and be more productive in the process. You do you!