Many often dream about working from home and being location independent.
You can create your own schedule, wear pajamas (this is a huge positive, right?!), be in control, and so on.
Being able to work from home and/or be location independent can be a great thing. I know this because I’ve been working from home for a few years now and I truly love it. I’m actually typing this in my RV while traveling around the country.
However, even with that being said, there are many things a person needs to keep in mind if they want to work from home (or on the road, while traveling, etc.) and that is why I am publishing this post today about my top work from home tips.
I know several people who have tried working from home only to find that they have a hard time getting anything done. While I’m not one of those people (I LOVE working from home), I know there are certain things that may hold you back if you’re not careful.
This is why it’s important to realize that working from home doesn’t mean you are retired.
You still have work that needs to be completed and you still have to earn a living. Cutting out your commute, being able to wear your pajamas on certain days, and being your own boss all may seem like great positives, but you have to remember that you still have a job.
Here are my work from home tips and some of the many ways you can stay sane.
Stick to a work schedule.
For the first of my work from home tips, I highly recommend creating some sort of work schedule.
Even if you can have the most flexible schedule in the world, it’s usually wise to still have somewhat of a work schedule. This way you can mentally get into the “work zone” each day and have fewer distractions.
Related: Check out my monthly online income reports where I show you how I make over $30,000 a month online!
Have a dedicated work area.
Similar to sticking to a work schedule, having a dedicated work area can help you work better due to the fact that you will be in a spot in your home that is used just for work.
This can help you separate work and life, be more organized, and get in the zone each day.
Related: How To Be More Productive: 17 Tips To Help You Live A Better Life
Exercise regularly.
When working from home, it can be quite easy to sit in one spot ALL day long.
Unlike with going to work where you may have to walk into work, walk to someone’s desk, and so on, you may find yourself getting a lot less movement in your day when you work from home.
By exercising regularly, you can stay healthy, refresh yourself, and clear your mind.
Hire help if you need it.
Outsourcing work can help you focus more on tasks that you need to complete, find “experts” who can do certain tasks better than you (such as accounting or legal work), manage a better work-life balance, and more.
You don’t have to only hire help for your work either. You can hire help for both work and home life. This could mean finding a virtual assistant, a nanny, a housekeeper, and so on.
Cut out distractions.
While social media and TV may be great at times, you have to be careful so that it’s not impacting your work in a negative way.
Working from home means that no one is watching over your shoulder, which may lead to you being more distracted. Due to this, it’s always a good idea to cut out things such as social media, TV, and so on while you are working so that you can be more efficient with your time.
Socialize with others.
Working from home can sometimes make a person feel a little lonely. You don’t have the normal socialization that you may receive when you go into an office, which may make a person feel like they are cut off from the world.
There are still many ways to socialize with others. You could join a club, hang out with friends, call coworkers, or even work in a shared space with small business owners.
Don’t run errands for others all day long.
There’s a common myth that people who work from home don’t actually do anything all day. This sometimes leads to friends and family members asking for favors from those who work from home.
Many of my online work friends are constantly asked to babysit, run errands, and so on from others. While the occasional favor may not be so bad, of course, usually favors of those who work from home start with “I know you have nothing to do today so will you…”
If you have the time and you want to, by all means say yes to every favor. But, I believe you need to be realistic and this is one of my important work from home tips. Running errands all day for others can prevent you from completing work and it can also cost you money.
Take breaks.
This may not apply to all work from home jobs, but for many working from home means that you may have somewhat of a flexible schedule. So, as long as you get your work done, you can most likely take any breaks that you think you deserve or need.
This is something I highly recommend everyone who works from home do.
A break can help you feel more refreshed so that you can work better. Whenever I am feeling stuck with work, I always take a break and that almost always helps.
Have fun.
In the end, you need to remember to have fun and this is one of my top work from home tips.
Spend more time with your family, be successful with your career choice, do things that you’ve always wanted to do, and more.
How do you stay sane and get work done when working from home? What are your top work from home tips?
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Starting the day with some exercise is great, otherwise I find some days I don’t even leave the house. I like to walk/jog/cycle outside to get some fresh air. I use that time to mentally plan my day and find I’m much more productive because of it.
Yes, I agree Emma!
Agreed Emma. Plus there are many studies showing that starting with some exercise is a good way to get focused for the rest of the day.
I need to work on starting the day with exercise. I usually start by working from my bed!
These are all so incredibly spot on. It admittedly took a couple of years of working from home to get really productive all the time. One other thing that really helped was getting super in tune with how I feel and honouring those days where I genuinely need a break whether for an hour or for the day. That made me so much more willing to be dedicated and productive the rest of the time.
Yes, definitely!
I can’t have any distractions around me when I am working from home and setting a schedule is key for me to actually get stuff done. Great tips! Starting the day but getting up and ready always helps me prepare for work time.
Thanks!
I work from home, and I find that the best thing for me is to develop a schedule that maximizes my productivity. My freelance work happens in the morning, then a break with my husband and son before I transition into my regular job. I try do my regular job in two intensive increments to maximize flow and minimize distraction. Usually this yields great results.
Great tip!
The dedicated work area is huge. I work from home only very occasionally, but when I do, if I try to set up in the main living areas of our house, I find I’m vastly less productive compared to if I head down to the office area that we have set up.
Yes, same here!
Since I work at home full-time for someone else, I take frequent breaks throughout the day after I’ve reached certain work milestones. I process claims so for instance, I’ll make a goal of being half-way complete with my overall workload for the day before I take a longer break. In order to take a break for blogging, etc. I have to hit certain personal work goals as well. It works out and I’m able to complete the amount of work I’m supposed to do before I stop working for the day. I’m occasionally able to get other things done as well. I’m hoping today will be one of them:)
Awesome!
I don’t work from home, but I can see how having a dedicated work space is important!
Thanks!
I’ve been working from home for almost three years now and that’s a really good list.
Setting expectations with my wife was one thing I didn’t expect going into it. When she was stay-at-home mom, she would come through and ask me to help her with things throughout the day. Then, when she went back to working part time she would expect household chores to get done while she was gone. It was hard to balance since I wanted to help out, but eventually we settled on a schedule of ‘office’ time that doesn’t get interrupted.
Thanks Chuck!
This is a great list. I still need to find a dedicated work zone for myself. I set up a small desk in our bedroom but typically the laundry piles and huge bins of unfinished craft projects are way too distracting. I also really need to work on making a work schedule. I’ve tried a few different things but with two kids, age four and under, it makes it really tough. Somebody wet the bed or needs a snack, or goodness knows what else.
Yes, I bet that makes it tough!
Sticking to a schedule and getting regular exercise have been huge for me. I think it’s also important to have realistic expectations. For example, I no longer expect to get anything done during my daughter’s waking hours! Trying to work with her in the office with me was a recipe for disaster and frustration every time. Once I gave up the idea of getting anything done then, it went much better. I also started working early in the morning before she gets up, at night after she goes to bed, and of course naptime!!
Great method!
I recently started working from home and maintain some semblance of a schedule and routine. Fortunately I don’t have many distractions which is a blessing.
The most challenging part for me right now is the socializing. I’m not getting out much except to go running.
Get out and socialize 🙂
Luis I’ve been working from home as a satellite employee for over 2 years and I actually bartend 2 days each week for fun and also to have my socializing time and feel less isolated. Plus the extra cash is a nice bonus. 🙂 Finding a service industry job is surprisingly easy and many restaurants don’t require previous experience.
Awesome Megan!
Thank you Megan. I appreciate your comment and it does give me something to consider.
Thanks Kalie!
Nice!
Yes! That’s what makes it so different when it comes to working from home and working a regular 9-5.
When I was working from home full time, people started asking me to run errands for them for their “emergencies”. I was asked to house sit, go to the post office, talk to their house contractor! They even got mad at me when I refused. But one has to be strong with this and especially temptations. This is a very real list that happens!
Yes, it’s crazy how “okay” some people think it is to ask for so many errands.