Working from home is a lot better and easier than working at an office right? Wrong. Most people who work from home say they feel stressed out and see the lines in between their personal and professional lives blurring.
While those who don’t have the opportunity to work from home imagine it to be all relaxation, rest leisure it can actually be a lot more difficult than it sounds like. Wasting time on the internet, binge-eating, and the knowledge that you don’t have a secure job can all make life a lot more complicated.
Here are some ways to make working from home a lot better. Follow these tips to ensure you don’t burn out and enjoy your job just as much as you would if it were in a comfortable office.
Exercise
Exercise is not just for the body, it is also for the mind. Including exercise in your schedule can make your days better since it can give you mental energy and bring about positive change in your life. Even simple activities like walking around the house after you finish a task or walking out to the store to buy something you need could make a difference.
Meet people
Meeting other humans is very essential to stay sane. It may not be easy to meet your friends or co-workers if you are living far away from them. But make plans to meet up whenever you can and make new friends near your house, at the park, library or find people in your area who work similar jobs.
Take reasonable breaks and manage your time well
While you can choose to work at your own time and pace your work as you choose to, try to establish a work schedule and stick to it. Plan your breaks and schedule activities for your breaks, plan your meal times and rest time. While you can be flexible sometimes, try and stick to your schedule every day to maximise your free time or you will be spending what seems like a really long time just to get a small task done.
Have goals
Having long term and short term goals can serve as a motivation for working harder. You don’t want to suddenly wake up one morning and realise you haven’t worked at all the past month. Apart from your daily schedule implement a weekly goal and a monthly checklist.
Schedule vacations
You needn’t spend a ton of money to go on vacation. Find out good spots around your area or nearby towns for sightseeing, head out to the beach with your family, go hiking with friends or make a travel plan for a solo trip.
Do what you love in your downtime
Make some time for yourself so you can indulge in activities you enjoy. If you enjoy reading then ensure you have time to read on a hard day after a lot of work. Even simple activities like drinking your coffee or a chat with your father can be a great addition to your day.
Don’t do housework during your work hours
Would you clean out your closet or wash dishes when you are at the office? No. So don’t do it if you are working from home either. All chores can be done during the hours when you aren’t scheduled to work and shouldn’t take up your ‘work hours’. Not only will you be pushing back your schedule you will also lose out on real rest time. Remember, work expands with time.
Deal with clients as you would from an office
Your clients don’t care that you are working from home, nor do they need to know. Keep your professional relationships the same and work with the same integrity and sincerity that you would give your job if you were working from an office.
Try to have fixed meal times
Have your meals prepared or at-least prepped in advance can make it a lot easier for you to grab something to eat when you are working. Go for healthier options over unhealthy processed food. Since most studies say you are likely to eat more at home than at work it is simply easier to have healthier snacks and beverages on hand. Don’t overdose on coffee and try to work during the day rather than scheduling work for the night on days when there is no need to stay up late. Sure, sometimes you may have to stay up to talk to clients or deal with issues, but ensure you balance out your schedule and are working more during daylight hours and resting during night time.
Weekends are important
It can be easy to think – ‘I will just finish it this weekend let me watch a movie today’. Keep your weekends work-free and unless it is something you can’t avoid don’t schedule any meetings or plan work-related activities. Remember that working from home has more pros than cons, so utilise all the pros and enjoy the advantage you have.
Plan out your day in chunks of time and make the most of your day. Some activities like grocery shopping may be easier to get done on a weekday when the stores are not crowded, you could schedule it for a weekday morning but restrict your shopping trip to the duration you have planned since it can be easy to lose track of time.
