10 tips to work happy and productive from home

1) Very first thing, always say you work “from” home and notwork “at” home.

See, hear and feel the difference? Working at home may lead people to think you are available to pick the neighbors kids from school at the end of the afternoon or that friends are welcome any time to chat and have coffee with you.

2) Define your spaces and separate work from home. 

Have a room or defined space 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”.

3) Set up a functional workspace.

This is critical to the success of your business. Make sure it contains all the necessary equipment that you need, and why not a wall calendar to write your goals and things to achieve (ex: erasable wall calendar). Decorate your workspace so that it is aesthetically appealing and try to keep distractions to a minimum.



4) Set regular hours and stick to the schedule (don’t stay in your pj - get dressed!).

And save time for yourself - many small business owners have a tendency to work all the time!



Vinyl Wall Decal from SimpleShapes on Etsy





5) Set online times.

You don’t always need to be accessible for chit chat, check if you made a new sale in the last 3 minutes, watch if you’ve been retweeted or if someone new wants to be your friend on Facebook. These are the worst time eaters. So plan your online time and no turning on the computer for a quick email check!

6) Keep three lists of three.

The first list has three things you will do today (avoid putting 15 items on there!). 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 and it will help you prioritize:)

 

7) Give yourself breaks and have a good lunch.

Eat nutricious foods

Don’t be locked in the room all the time. For every hour you work, have a 5-10 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. Lunch will give you good energy for the second part of the day. Drink water throughout the day.

8) Set boundaries and close the door.

Make it clear to your family and friends that you are working. It may be hard in the beginning but make it clear that you are unavailable at certain times. You’ll never accomplish what’s on your schedule if you’re constantly disrupted. Speaking of which, it might be a good idea to turn off the telephone, e-mail notifications and TV when at work.

Tidy and organized

9) Try to set certain days and times for certain work.

For example: file everything on Friday afternoon, check emails at 9, 11:30, 2 and 4:30. Plan your week ahead on Friday and block time for any virtual lab/e-course, study or specific project. This way you can work around these big chunks of scheduled time and it will allow you to block time to create. It will also allow you to walk out of your office for your evening and week-end to your family and activities without feeling like you left work unfinished.

10) Keep your desk and general work area tidy.

A tidy workspace helps keep a tidy mind, which helps make your day more some productive. I'll share tips to help you unclutter your work area and keep it clean, get rid of bunch of papers and stay motivated soon.

11) Say thank you and be grateful.

I know I said 10 tips, but Hey! You’re working from home! We should say thank you for that everyday!

If you'd like to share any other tip that works for you, please do in the comments section below.

Have a great week,

Patricia





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