5 Tips For Working From Home

We’ve been working from home for about two and a half years and these five tips have helped us be productive and to continue loving what we do.

When we first started working from home, we just dove into it. I didn’t look up tips for working from home or read about how to do it, and wow, do I wish that I had. Quite frankly, I struggled through the love-hate relationship for much too long. It wasn't until recently that I decided to learn what works best for me, figure out how I can balance being productive while also maintaining my sanity, and recognize just how much I love working from home. For me, I tend to both overwork myself and even get down on myself about not getting enough done. And this is not a healthy combo.

Moreover, when you work from home, there's really nothing that tells you, “hey, it’s time to stop working now” and that doesn’t help the matter. After taking some time to figure out what works for me, these five things stood out. So I hope these tips will help you stay motivated throughout the day and thrive while working from home. 

Tip 1: Have work to-dos and personal to-dos. 

So the thing with working from home is there’s no leaving. And when you can’t leave for work or come back from work, there’s really no way to separate things. It’s easy to let the line blur, one way or the other, and that can leave you discouraged. If you have a bad day at work, it’s harder to pick yourself up afterward and have a good evening– and vice versa. For me, when I make a work to-do and a personal to-do I’m much better at separating the two and enjoying both. 

For my personal to-do, I like to put down little things like take a shower or go on a walk but also things I might be looking forward to such as call a friend or look up a new recipe. All of these little things help me feel not only productive but also just happy. If my day at work isn’t going well, I still have other things that I know I’m looking forward to or getting done in my personal life. 

Tip 2: Make a morning routine right away.

This is something I really struggled with when I first started working from home. My “morning routine” consisted of waking up and immediately starting work, and that left me constantly feeling burnt out. I found that when I started incorporating a healthy morning routine, my day went smoother, I felt more productive, and ultimately was able to get more done each day. So when I say make a morning routine right away, but it’s also important to let it evolve. Decide what your morning routine is and do that for a few days and then decide what worked for you, what you may want to add, and what would help make it sustainable. 

Tip 3: Plan out your meals.

This sounds random, I know. You are probably thinking how in the world is this a tip for working from home. But bear with me. I’d go as far as saying this tip is for everyone, even if you don’t work from home. Planning out my meals, at least lunch and dinner (because I’m the type of person to have the same thing for breakfast each day) is so helpful. It not only keeps me looking forward to something throughout the day (can you say foodie) but also helps me eat healthier and make better food choices.

Furthermore, I think the worst thing is to get to the end of a workday and be like, “wow, I have no idea what to have." So I like to plan out lunch and dinner. I usually have a few ideas at the beginning of the week and keep those ingredients on hand and then each day, I decide which recipe I want to do. I’d encourage you to try this one out. You never know, it might be a total game-changer for you. 

Tip 4: Break up the day with at least one activity.

This goes back to breaking up your day and bringing separation between work and personal time. Just like you may go to lunch or grab a coffee when you are in an office, its just as important to do the same thing when you work from home. For me, it’s things like going on a walk in the morning or taking “lunch” to go to the grocery store or work in the yard. This has helped me feel less drained at the end of the day and have a more well rounded day.   

Tip 5: Change up where you work.

A common tip I’ve heard is to have a designated workspace or home office, and I do think this is good. But for me, I’ve found that it is so helpful to not say “This is the only place I can work.” When I give myself the flexibility to work for an hour or two on the couch or at my kitchen table, it really changes up my day. It’s kind of like hitting a creative roadblock and trying something new. Usually, I feel more creative and ready to keep going. So I’d encourage you to switch it up and see how you feel. In the worst-case scenario, you can go back to only working in one place, but best case scenario you may be even more productive and feel even better about what you are doing. 

So, I hope these 5 tips for working from home were helpful and that you are encouraged to find what works best for you while working from home.  

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