My Tips and Tricks
When I tell people I work from home, I get a lot of mixed reactions. A lot of people react with something along the lines of “How do you do that? I would get so distracted!” but then I also get a lot of “OMG you’re so lucky I would love to do that!”. To me, the biggest way I stay productive is to set a routine, and stick to it. I’ve worked from home for over 6 years now. I’ve been with the same company for just shy of 8 years. I started off working in the corporate office (in Texas) and about a year and a half in I went to my boss and said I was looking at moving to New York City, and asked if there was any way I could keep my job and work remotely. Thankfully, I have a really cool and understanding boss, and my request was granted. You ever know what you can get if you just ask! With technology being what it is today, I never feel out of touch with my co-workers. I for sure don’t miss commuting to an office every day (except for maybe when they are celebrating an office birthday and are eating cake without me) and I am honestly SO much more productive outside of the office environment.
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Get started early
Don’t allow yourself to get distracted with household chores first thing in the morning. I am most successful when I wake up and get started on work right away. I don’t typically start on anything (like emptying the dishwasher or throwing a load of laundry into the wash) before I start working. I don’t even make breakfast until several hours into work. But I obviously make coffee! Can’t start work without that!
Identify what needs to get done + structure your day
I’m a big to-do list person. I set reminders in my Outlook calendar of tasks so I don’t forget anything, but also so that I am sure to carve out the time to get them accomplished. Sticking to this very organized schedule it what helps me stay the most productive.
Work when you’re most productive
My job happens to have traditional business hours, but if you work for yourself (like Shelby does) you can set your own schedule. This is different for everyone, but I am most productive first thing in the morning. This is when I power through the majority of my work, and I tend to not break for lunch until I get everything accomplished that I need to. I like to save the afternoons for meetings and calls, and the various things that come up during the day I need to tackle. But if you are not a morning person, and have the luxury of having a flexible schedule, then maybe you prefer to run errands or take a yoga class in the mornings and then start work after lunch and work into the evenings a bit. Figure out what works best for you and then create a routine around that.
Get dressed
This is one of the easiest things to slack on, but can really make a difference for me. When you’re not reporting to an office, and are working from home, there is no one making you change out of your pajamas. And while I admit I do work in my pajamas from time to time, I find that by making an effort to get dressed (and sometimes do my hair and makeup) tricks my mind into feeling ready for the day, and therefore I’m more productive. Now by getting dressed, I’m not necessarily in traditionally work appropriate attire. More often than not I change into work out leggings and a t-shirt (like what I’m wearing in these photos), but I’m not staying in the clothes I slept in, which is the key for me.
Get out of the house
When you don’t have a reason to leave the house, it becomes really easy to become a bit of a shut in. I find that when the weather is a bit extreme in NYC (either really hot or snowing) I can go a few days without stepping foot outside. Personally I like to get out and do something during my lunch break. I use this time to go to the gym, or run errands. Not only does this help to break up my day, but it allows me to physically separate myself from my laptop, and clear my head a bit before jumping into that afternoon’s tasks. Because Shelby also works from home (and we live together) I’m not isolated by myself all day. We do work separately in different rooms, but we obviously chat throughout the day. If you do work by yourself, try to schedule lunch with a client or a quick coffee with a friend so you can get some human interaction.
Be clear about your working hours
There are always exceptions to this, but I really try to stick to only working within a designated set of hours. It’s really easy to ignore this one when you work from home, especially when there is a lot going on. And for me specifically, I transition from my day job hours directly into working on As Told By stuff, so I don’t technically ever get “off” time, but I do keep the two separated by what hours I set aside to work on each.
Enjoy your flexibility
One of the things I love most about working from home is the flexibility. If I want to work from my bed I do. If I want to work from a coffee shop (these are some of our favs!) I do. I can pretty much work from anywhere with an internet connection. Every day can be different if I want. If I’m feeling uninspired in my workspace, I have the freedom to change up that environment.
Do you have more questions about working from home? Leave them below and I’d be happy to answer them! If you already work from home, what are your tips and tricks?
-Ash