Important Tips to Follow When Working at Home

Start your work day every day at the same time. It is important to shower and dress as if you were leaving the house. Do not work in your pajamas. It is important to keep up with your personal hygiene even though you are working at home. A lot of people forget to brush their teeth and put showers off. Not only is this bad for your hygiene, it is also bad for your mental health. In order to feel good, you must look good and take care of yourself.

Make a schedule for the day and follow it. Start every day at the same time. Include a few breaks in the middle of the day. Some people give themselves a 15 minute break after each hour. Others do not need that much. Either way, allow your mind to take a break and do not stay in one room all day. Take a walk outside or make a cup of coffee or tea. Whatever it may be to get your mind off of things, it's important to get up and move around. Have a day designated for each task. For example: on Fridays everything should be filed and put away. All tasks that have been left should be finished. It will give you a sense of being done for the week and allow you to relax and enjoy your weekend.

Choose a designated area for your work place that is quiet and free of distractions. Most people find that they are most productive if they have If you have kids, they should be told the area is your work place and not a play room. Your work area should be a place where you can step into work mode and escape home life. Design your work area to be comfortable. Hang a picture and make it your own. The more comfortable you are in your work space, the more productive you will be.

Get organized. Start a “To Do” list and cross out what gets done as you do it. This is a great sense of accomplishment and gives you something to look back on if in doubt of what was done for the day. Try making a list of weekly goals and place the list where you can see it. Use folders and trays to organize paper work. Everything should be labeled and easily found. There are many free programs online that will help you organize goals, money, and things do.

Adjust work and home life separate. Avoid combining work and home life. A lot of people end up working too many hours and others end up not working enough. It is best to split your time down the middle. Keep your weekends free. Establish boundaries with your friends and family. It is important for them to understand that you are working from home. Often, family and friends do not understand the discipline it takes to work from home.