Working from home might be the dream for several people, but it might not be easy for everyone.

If you have already started your own business, or you are agreed to have some days at the office and others at home, don’t be surprised if the first days, or months you feel weird and less productive than when working in a normal office.

Home officing can be wonderful for some people, but hard to manage for others. The conditions you have at home would affect your working ambient, schedule, and mood, and you can try to make the best with what you have to make it work for you.

Maybe you are just affected by the Coronavirus and must start working from home from now to an uncertain date in the future. You might want to read more about this novel virus here.

I have already 6 years’ experience working from home, and I have found it’s the perfect way to spend most of my time.

 

 

Being an extroverted introvert, I love being alone sometimes and spending time on my own suits me and soothes me. If I’m not traveling, most of the time I’m working from home, not going out for days sometimes, so the idea of having to stay working at home is what makes sense to me.

Sometimes, when I feel I need more social interaction I go to work from the library or a coffee shop but being at home is where I feel good.

If you are working from home for the first time, you can find some of the things I try to do to keep being productive and healthy. This plan is considering you are either living alone or with a significant other and you don’t have kids in charge, cause I’m sure the situation would be a bit different, but I still don’t have kids to share with you my experience regarding that topic.

 

 

Establish a schedule

Working from home makes it easier to procrastinate and lose time in things you wouldn’t do if you are in an office.

If you are starting to work from home, try to keep things as if you were at the office, meaning keeping certain structures to stay productive.

One of the most important things is to establish your daily schedule, keeping your timings and accomplishing your goals. Organize your day regarding the activities you will do, including your breaks and eating/coffee breaks.

 

Keep your routines

Wake up early as usual when you work during the daytime and start your working day at the same time you would do from the office and manage the daily tasks as if you were not at home.

If you usually have a 30 minutes lunch break, take the same amount of time at the same time you would do when working in the office. This will help your body and mind to stay clear and productive.

 

 

Use some Apps to organize your work

There are many tools available that can help you to work better online. Apps to manage your timings, work with your team, etc. Some of my favorites are the following:

• Clickapp
• Endnote
• Pomodoro
• Teams by Microsoft

 

Coffee Time is important

When you usually take a little break to make your tea, coffee or a little walk, keep this if you are working from home.

Don’t do more breaks either, just because you are closer to your favorite couch or bed in the world, it’s not meaning you should lay down the whole evening there.

 

Create a space to work

I’m a physical therapist and I know the importance to keep your body in proper conditions and having a proper working environment to avoid pain and injuries by repetitive movements and bad postures.

Ergonomically, it’s healthier and better not only for your concentration but also for your body to work in a proper setup. Meaning a desk, a good chair and all the tools needed to be comfortable when spending long hours in front of the screen.

There are some people, especially writers who like to work from bed or the couch, and if you have a good table it might be an option for shorter times.

Investing in a standing table is also a good idea to change your position and not be sitting for the whole day. I use this one and it’s working for both, couch or standing and I love it!

Cook for lunch the day before

When you like cooking it can be taking a long time to make a meal. I usually waste a lot of time cooking, and especially when I feel less focused and I don’t feel like working, I turn myself into baking or cooking something that requires a long time.

If you plan your meals ahead you won’t need to spend time during your working hours to cook or think about what to eat.

You can make dinner and lunch for the next day together and save time and energy doing this. Or even cooking in batches and freezing some extra portions so you always have something ready to eat.

 

Close the office

Working from home makes it very easy to overwork and do more hours than you should or would do if you were working in an office.

You are the only one in control of your time and you should be able to manage your timings and this includes stop working when its time to finish your daily tasks.

If you have a physical office, you can plan to close the door at 5 when your working day is off, turning off the computer, or go for a walk, anything that makes you feel you are closing the working day.

 

Keep moving

When you are working from home you move much less than if you were working from somewhere else. You won’t have any movement while commuting to the office, no walks to the toilet or the canteen.

It will be more important to make an extra effort to move more, walk in the morning or the afternoon, perhaps it’s time to buy a step counter and track your steps to reach a goal of 10000 per day.

You can set up an alarm to stand up and do some stretching using your desk, or work standing for some hours. I use a foldable table I can use either as a standing table or when I’m working from the couch.

 

Take small breaks

This should be done while doing any job.

Especially if you are doing something repetitive, maintaining the same posture for longer times as this can led to muscle and ligaments tension and stress which can provoke injuries and pain.

Move around the house, do some stretching, a 5-minute yoga break, or a 5-minute no screen/phone, yeah, your eyes also get tired with the light of our screens.

 

Don’t waste time in the households

That pile of clothes that need to be washed, or the floors craving to get cleaned, of your closet that is absolutely disorganized, all of that can wait.

Don’t do households during your working hours.

Better, leave sometime during your weekends, early in the morning, or when your journey is already ended, so you can keep yourself focused and don’t lose time doing other things you are not planning to.

 

Change your clothes

Changing your clothes to something different than your pajamas, taking a shower, and getting ready for the day will help you to make the change in your mood and have a ready-to-work mindset.

I know some freelancers love the freedom to be able to work in pajamas from the couch, but if you find a hard time focusing and staying productive, changing clothes will help you to feel you are ready to start the day.

 

Don’t forget your social life

It’s very easy to stay isolated, especially when you are an introvert. Working from home will take away a lot of the social contact you would have daily if you were working from a place that’s not your home.

When I’m at home in Germany I spend most of my time at home working and I must make an extra effort to keep meeting people, inviting friends at home or visiting them. My social life in Germany is way quieter to what I was used to have while I was living in Santiago de chile and this is something I have to constantly keep feeding to maintain and make new friendships in my new location.

Now we are having the need to stay at home due to the COVID19, we can keep having online video meetings with family and friends and with this, keep our relationships healthy.

 

For example, if you work in an office and start doing home office, keep the gossiping with your colleagues. Or try to have a chat with people in your field with which you can share insights, doubts or create and have support together.

 

If you are starting to work from home, I hope you find this article useful and you can make the best of this experience.

 

Do you have any other good tips to do Home Office?