Working for yourself from home can seem like a dream at first glance.
Skip the long commute and the micro-managing boss.
Work when you want, wearing whatever you want.
No more long-winded meetings that kill your productivity.
Sounds lovely…until it’s not.
If you’ve been working from home for more than a minute, you know that there are some major downfalls, too. Trying to keep yourself on task can be trickier than it seems, especially when you could “just throw in a quick load of laundry” or run that errand. Or realizing that it’s been 2 days since you left the house, or really got dressed can make you a little stir-crazy. Not having co-workers to run an idea by can be really tough too, especially if you do well with a little more social interaction.
Things like co-working spaces can really help, but depending on the kind of work you do, that’s not always possible. So here are my tips for working from home in a way that is more effective and less crazy-making:
Walk to Work
One of my favorite things about a job I had a few years ago was the fact that I could walk or bike to work every day. It would take me about 15 minutes to get from my front door to the office, and I loved starting my morning with some fresh air and some quiet time to help me transition from home to work.
When I started working from home, I could just wander about 10 feet from my bedroom to the office, but it didn’t take long before I realized that I really needed some built-in transition time to get me out of home mode and ready to work.
So I started “walking to work.” I’d do all of my other morning routine activities (coffee, exercise, journaling, shower, etc.) and once I was dressed and ready for the day I’d head out the door for a walk or bike ride only to head back 5 or 10 minutes later to arrive “at work.” I take off my jacket, head to my office, and start the day.
This transition works well for me, and I try to do it at the end of the day, too. It helps me to feel like work and home are two separate places, instead of blurring the lines too much.
Routines
While having a routine feels like a no-brainer, I’ve found for both myself and my clients that actually building these routines can be really difficult. Sure, you like the idea of having a schedule for when you do each task every week, but holding yourself to a set schedule often feels too constraining (especially for creative types, it seems). Some folks are good at just writing a schedule out and sticking to it, but if you’re not one of those people, consider some of these tips:
Start with the supportive stuff: I like to start to implement routines by considering the things that motivate me outside of work first. For instance, if I block out time to go to the 10am yoga class and I want to meet a friend for a walk at 4pm, it’s easier for me to see what time is left and get motivated to do the less-fun tasks so that I can go to yoga.
Alliteration: I love alliteration for making my routine tasks stick. For instance, I have “Follow Up Friday” and “Money Minutes” (everyday), and “Daily Debriefs” (the last few minutes of every day). Having a time block in my calendar of “follow up” didn’t really work for me, but somehow the mental trigger of “Oh, it’s Friday—that means I’ve gotta follow-up!” made certain routines work.
IN and ON Days: I find that one of the most helpful things I’ve done for my business is separate the days that I work IN my business (doing client work and delivering the things that make me money) from the days I work ON my business (planning bigger projects, doing admin work, etc.). Of course, there tends to be a little crossover, but by and large, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, where I do the bulk of my client work, I’m not working on business planning tasks.
More on productivity and time management here, here, and here.
Get Out
When you work from home, I feel pretty strongly that getting something on your calendar everyday that is out of the house is key. Going to an exercise class, meeting a client in person, or going to happy hour with other at-home workers can be a sanity saver. If you’re already working from home, choose a gym membership over the YouTube exercise videos. Or try answering emails from a coffee shop for an hour or two just to change up the scenery.
Real Clothes
I know it’s pretty popular to say that one of the benefits of working from home is that “you can work in your pajamas!” I can’t tell you the number of people who’ve said to me “it’s so great that you can just wear yoga pants and slippers all day if you want.” But personally, that approach does not work at all for me.
I have to get dressed for work. I shower, I brush my hair, and I put on clothes that make me feel like an adult instead of a college kid in a computer lab. And if I’m really feelin’ fancy, I’ll bust out some lipstick, too.
There are a lot of reasons behind this for me. Probably one is the idea that you should “dress for the job you want, not the one you have” that I’ll never be able to get out of my head. To me, when you show up putting your best foot forward for work, you signal to yourself (and the universe) that you mean business.
Now, of course, this doesn’t mean you need to show up wearing a suit, but it means that you show up with some intention. This is obviously a really personal choice here, but for me, clothes that make me look good help me to feel good…and that’s really the point.
Work Time
Decide when you’re going to stop working for the day, and stick to it. It’s easy to work around the clock, or just continually work on a project as you feel like it. And occasionally that might work for you. But overall, implementing a hard stop time is incredibly freeing. In my experience, that means you’ll be more focused when you’re working, and more relaxed when you’re not.
Similarly, give yourself permission to work less. It seems that one of the biggest struggles folks have when the work from themselves is that they try to stick to the 9-5 schedule they’ve been used to doing in previous jobs. So, even after 6 hours of work, they think they need to stay at their desks (or in their studio) for another 2 hours because that’s a “real” workday.
Essentially we’re trying to work against Parkinson’s law a bit here, too, which is the idea that “work expands to fill the time we give it.” Give yourself 8 hours, you’ll probably fill it. Give yourself 6, you’ll likely get the same work done faster.
Community (don’t go it alone)
You will go bananas if you don’t have a community that you can talk to about what you’re working on, excited about, frustrated by, and so forth. Support in some form is essential when you work solo. That can look like a number of things, but here’s what my support team looks like, and I don’t know what I’d do without them:
2 in-person groups of small business gals that get together to work through our issues, swap tips, and root each other on. One is more intimate and structured, one is more informal but they’re both helpful and fun. (free)
1 small online group of gals (just 3 of us!) that meet every two weeks on a video call. (free)
Multiple Facebook groups that I’m actively engaged with, where I can ask questions, give advice, and celebrate my wins with others. (free)
1 mastermind group and 2 coaches who really hold my feet to the fire. This is where I come to ask the more in-depth questions, share my bigger struggles, and am able to really work through the hard stuff. It’s my biggest investment, but also where the major breakthroughs happen. (paid)
1 bookkeeper who keeps me on track in the financial department. Paying for this service was a game-changer because it allowed my brain to focus on the work that ONLY I can do…I’ll likely hire an assistant in the coming months, too, because the value of help is huge! (paid)
1-2 conferences, trainings, or retreats every year. Not only is it important for me to keep learning to improve my work, but meeting new folks or getting together with my online business friends in person is one of the best things I do for my soul and business every year. I’d love to do this sort of thing quarterly…maybe someday! (paid)
That’s it for now!
There are plenty of other great tips out there for working from home, so if you have some, I’d love to hear ‘em. Tell me your favorite tips in the comments below.