My Top Tips for Working from Home
If you’re working at home—whether by choice or necessity—it can be easy to blur the lines between your personal life and your work. Without a clear plan and structure, working at home can be stressful and cause home to lose its sense of peace and comfort. Try some of the techniques here so you can thrive while working from home, keep your sanity, and create a source of calm and peace.
Plan Your Time
The biggest part of making your days meaningful to you and giving them shape is actually thinking about what you want to fill them. It doesn't have to be a rigid structure, but I find setting weekly and daily intentions, and having a loose idea of what I want or need to do when can go a long way.
You can download Ritual Morning Studio’s FREE weekly planner page below to help you as you think through your priorities and make sure you plan for them.
Identify Transitions
You may not have a commute any longer, but if you don't want your days to blend together, clear transitions can help distinguish work and home life. When I'm drinking my tea in the morning I try to really enjoy it and sip slowly and I drink at least one full cup before I do anything else. And when I transition to work, I set up my space to feel calm and peaceful before I jump into anything. For me that just means a clean desk, a playlist of music I like, my sun lamp on, and a hot cup of tea to go.
You might enjoy listening to a song or even the radio station you listened to on your drive to work before you begin or a short walk around the neighborhood to wake up your body and mind more fully. Even noting aloud that you are switching from one thing to another can be helpful to mark the change.
Similarly, think about how you end your work day. Can you tidy your desk, shut down your computer, or switch off notifications on your phone to mentally leave work for the day?
Identify Opportunities
Think of the things you didn't have time for before you started working from home that you might have planned for a someday staycation. MAKE them a priority, and put them first.
You'll always find the time to do something that gets you paid, but it's easy to put off what matters to you personally.
Make time for at least something small for yourself first, whether it's sketching or listening to a favorite podcast, moving your body, making a thoughtful meal, or connecting with friends—you'll find more energy for the other stuff if you make what matters to you a priority.
Monitor Your Energy Levels
You know the times you are most creative or productive and have the most focus—be sure to use them to your advantage for your most important work. And if you don't know, try to pay attention to when your energy is highest and lowest for a week or so and note any trends. Schedule your work to align with that and you'll get more done in less time.
Make sure you're getting the vitamins and nutrition you need through your diet or supplements. And if you're not able to get as much sun, consider taking Vitamin D or even use a sun lamp to help with your energy.
Establish Boundaries
If you're able, loosen up the structure of your day so that it doesn't feel like a regular 9-5. Make sure you have "off" time and communicate that with those you collaborate with so they can respect it too. You might choose to check email at certain hours of the day, designate a window in which you will respond, only open certain days for meetings, etc. If you’re working for someone else, you might not have as much control over this, but even finding small windows of flexibility can be worthwhile.
Designate a Set Workspace
If you have room, have a separate space where you work. Even if it's not a different room, a desk or designated spot can keep the rest of your living space for actually living and that will help you focus and also separate from work. That said, if you need days where you work from the couch and binge shows or you want to relax with your laptop in bed, do it! Just be aware of when this saps energy vs. when it gives it.
Batch tasks
If you have certain tasks you do again and again, put them in one time block so you can be more efficient and free up more time. Switching between tasks and going back and forth can take more mental energy.
Working with Kids
Realistically, you can only be so productive when working from home with kids, and that's okay. I think it’s important our workplaces and clients see our family and personal lives as a priority and help us to uphold that. But it’s sadly not always the case, and some types of work can’t happen remotely. But if you are working from home with kids, it’s worth working to create an environment that’s better for everyone.
A few things that have helped me to get some work done with my kids are to:
Give them first priority. I've heard this called filling up their love bucket, quality time and attention, or saying yes first. How you start the day is important. Being mindful and present and giving focused attention first can set the tone for the rest of the day. It doesn't have to be anything fancier than sitting at breakfast together and really listening, or snuggling up with a story on the couch. We all want to be seen, and kids are no different.
Invite them in. When I started my morning drawing practice in 2018, I tried getting up earlier than my family to work by myself, and more often than not, my daughter would sense it and wake up with me. Instead of continuing to battle the urge to sleep in or trying not to wake her up, I set her up with paper and art supplies right next to me. Sometimes she mimicked me, sometimes she did her own thing, but it was something we both began to look forward to together. A 4-year-old can't write emails with you, but maybe you can offer an old keyboard or broken laptop or some cardboard hinged with tape you can add "keys" to together.
Make rest time your friend. My kids have not napped in years, and before COVID-19 hit, we were usually on the go on the weekends exploring state parks or visiting with friend sand family. But now that we're home, I've reclaimed family quiet time every day from 1-2pm. We all go to separate areas of the house with a quiet activity, and this is when I plan my more focused work. It took a few days for everyone to get on board, but offering an activity or something to look forward to after a solid hour of quiet play can help as you establish expectations.
Remember the times that are hard are not forever, and when you experience something you don't want to experience again, take note of that, do your best to ride out the situation, and then figure out how to avoid it in the future.
I'd love to know if you find any of these tips and techniques useful, as well as any that you've tried that are working for you!
