Tips for Staying Productive and Sane While Working From Home
1. Define your spaces; separate work from home. Have a room dedicated to working. Don’t do it wherever you happen to be. Set aside some space, preferably a room (it doesn’t have to be big) to be your workspace. That way, when you enter it, you know consciously what you’re there to do: go to work. It changes the state of mind from “I’m at home” to “I’m at work”.
2. Set regular hours, and stick to the schedule.
3. Don’t stay unshaved in pajamas. Instead, have breakfast, have a shower, wear comfortable clothes. Then make a list of sensible tasks for the day and get started.
4. Close the door. It’ll be very easy to leave the door to whatever room or space you set apart to be your workplace open. Don’t do it. If the door is open, that represents something to you, and to your family. To you, it represents the idea that if it’s a bit tough, or you don’t feel like working today, you don’t have to. To your family, it represents the idea that Dad is around, and I can go and talk to him.
5. Keep your desk and general work area tidy and conducive to work. A tidy workspace helps keep a tidy mind, which helps make your day more productive. Though some people prefers it to be a little messy, but either way, keep your desk work-conducive.
6. Don’t stop working if it’s a hard day. There’ll be times when you haven’t got any ideas, or just don’t feel productive. Train yourself to do some work anyway. It’s a short fall from “It’s just not happening at the moment” to “It’s a bit tough, I’ll stop for the day”. Next thing you know, you never seem to get anything done.
7. Keep three lists of three. The first list has three things you will do today. The second is three things you’d like to get done, but aren’t essential. The third is three things that need to be done at some point. That way, when you’ve trogged through your days work, you don’t end up sitting twiddling your thumbs.
8. Start the day properly. Have a good breakfast, spend some time alone to just sit and do whatever. Relax, let your mind wander. Pray. Just make sure that your mind isn’t in the “I hate working” frame of mind.
9. Have a good comfortable chair. You’ll be spending long hours of it so you need to be comfortable and not injure yourself.
10. Give yourself breaks. Don’t be locked in the room all the time. For every hour you work, have a 10-15 minute break. Give your mind time to digest what it’s just done, then come back. You’ll improve the quality of what you produce a hundredfold.
11. Schedule, if possible, around your natural schedule. Some people peak in the morning, others in the afternoon, still others at the witching hour.
12. Have a pint of water by your desk all the time. Try and work up to drinking a few pints a day, if you don’t already.
13. Be careful what music you listen to while you work. Music, TV, the weather… Just about everything will influence your mood. Some you can’t change, some you can. Make sure that you surround yourself with things that will give you the best frame of mind for whatever you’re about to do.
14. No turning on the computer for a quick email check or to do. 1 little thing until you’ve gotten “ready for work” as mentioned above. The nuance is if you have nowhere to be, that 1 little thing leads to showering at 2 in the afternoon with a splitting headache because you’ve forgotten to eat etc.
15. Know when to stop. Don’t work late into the night. Set defined times when you’re going to work, and then when it passes, stop. You can have a bit of leeway here, but make sure that you don’t end up letting work run your life.
“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” - Ovid
16. Set boundaries for those around you as well. Schedule your work time and make sure the kids and spouse know that you are unavailable for playing, chores, etc. during this time.
17. Sound Canceling Headphones. Seriously useful if you have a 3-year-old.
18. Have a good lunch. One suggested that something with good carb content works best. Puts you in the mood for the second half of the day.
19. Track your time. One reader suggested a simple program called gtimelog (http://mg.pov.lt/gtimelog/). You enter what you’ve done when you’ve completed it. It’s very simple and stays out of your way. At the end of the day, week, you can see a summary. It also allows you to break out work time vs. fun time in a simple manner.
20. Don’t allow work to consume your life, or vice versa. Easier said than done when working from home. Make sure you set limits for the amount of time you will work. Or not work.
21. Make time for people. As a saying goes, keep old friends and gain new ones. Working from home doesn’t mean you’ll stop gaining friends and acquaintances along the way. When people ask, give them what you can. Respond in some way to every email or chat message. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to get around to it. Just make sure you do. It matters.
22. Be grateful you’re working from home and not in some cubicle! That gratitude will motivate you to work harder, so you can continue to work from home.
23. Understand your employer’s expectations. Will your job requirements and duties be the same at home as in an office environment? How much support will you receive as a home office worker.
24. Set specific work times or goals: Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and beyond. Goals are important to keep you on track, as well as to validate your progress. Working at home can be very positive in terms of autonomy and independence, but it can be lonely and unfulfilling without the regular feedback that comes from working in an office. The telecommuter needs to feel confident he or she is doing what is necessary to be viewed as successful and to feel secure in his or her job. Paranoia can set in pretty quickly without the regular input of fellow coworkers.
25. Understand your work style. It is crucial for you to understand how you work best. Do you work best according to your moods? If so, keep track of your tasks according to task type: computer work, telephone work, meetings, etc. This way you can perform these tasks when you are at your best.
26. Track your work and progress. Your employer may have a specific way for you to track your time. It may be as simple as emailing your supervisor when you start and stop your work. It may be a more elaborate time tracking system where you record your specific activities in time increments or journal style. It may be a good idea to keep track of what you are doing in more detail. It may come in handy if you are asked to justify your time or when you would like to ask for a raise.
27. Assess your progress weekly. It is important to organize your work in such a way as you are able to quickly and clearly see what you have accomplished. Often, this is accomplished through effective use of a calendar system like Outlook. In some industries, the billable hour or journal system (even a combination) are standard. However you approach it, you need to be able to clearly determine you are on target to reach your goals.
28. Make adjustments to how you accomplish your job. If something is not working, don’t be afraid to change it. As a telecommuter, you may be a pioneer at your office, company or industry. No one may have all the answers. Invest time researching ways to improve your productivity. Don’t be afraid to ask, “Is there a quicker, better, more effective way out there?” Seek it out, albeit carefully. Don’t jump on the first bandwagon that comes along. Try it out tentatively – not all solutions meet all users’ needs.
29. Ask for help or input. Have regular meetings with your boss or coworkers. These meetings could be weekly, monthly or quarterly. The meetings may be more frequent to begin with. Talk to others from a similar field who also telecommute. Use social networking to stay in touch and obtain advice in answer to a question or before you ask it. Be selective about which groups or lists you sign up for or follow. You don’t want social networking to become a distraction rather than a way to stay in touch and obtain input!
30. Take care of yourself. It is hard to do your best when you don’t feel your best and especially hard when you don’t have regular input from others! Get up at a regular time and get dressed. Have your breakfast and coffee before work if that is your habit. If you usually brown bag it, pack a lunch to eat when you are ready. Meet coworkers or friends for lunch periodically if you are in the habit of this. Set regular breaks and quitting time. Avoid the temptation to work when it should be family time and remember to exercise and go to bed at the appointed hour.
Reference:
Top 30 Tips for Staying Productive and Sane While Working From Home
14 Tips for Working from Home
