Many people wonder how I work at home and get anything done. It’s not an unusual question, considering I have 2 insanely cute dogs to distract me (or bark during my conference calls), among other distracting variables that could potentially sabotage my business. Since I work in a creative field (as a creative consultant) it is pretty crucial for me to follow a structure to ensure that I am not only being productive, but in an environment that I can flourish and enjoy my work. Below are some of my tips that keep me focused and overall getting my job done:
- Wake up at the same time Monday-Friday. For me, that’s 7:00am.
- Every morning get dressed as if you’re heading to “the office.” This will set the tone for your day. I’m not going to lie and say I haven’t worked in pajamas a few times, but trust me, my fully dressed (and slightly made-up) days are much more productive.
- Invest in a good coffee machine (or juicer). I used to get lost for the day while making my morning coffee run to Starbucks. Too many distractions can occur during this crucial time of the day (8:00am-3:00pm are my most productive hours).
- Eat lunch between 12:00pm-1:30pm. It’s ok to leave the house for a power lunch if it’s for business.
- Have a solid home-office set up. Love your space and be comfortable.
- Keep healthy snacks (or check out my Skinny Snacks) in the house to avoid finding excuses to leave the house for a quick bite.
- Allow yourself a quick 20-30 minute break when necessary. When working on large projects I take a short break to re-compose my thoughts and evaluate my work.
- Prioritize! Sure, a hike, shopping trip, or pool day may sound grand (and possible when working from home), but is all your work done? Working from home does have the perk of ‘when your work is done you’re done’, but make sure you’re actually done before stopping.
- Force yourself to leave the house after a work day to network, attend events, socialize, etc. When you’re cooped up in the house all day you can get kind of lonely and sometimes disconnected. However, it is much easier to just stay home and avoid important functions (again, been there).
- Changing your work mindset to your ‘at home’ mindset can be tricky, but realize you need to limit your work day. I’m guilty of working well into the nights–bringing my work days close to 10-12 hours easily–but it is important to exist outside of your work mode. A glass of wine helps.