Work from Home Tips from a Freelancer

Working from home was not the norm for most people before COVID hit in March. Typically, the majority of people would go into work from 9-5 and have their work life separated from their personal life. In March, those lines got blurred, while work life evaded homes due to the current situations and more people began to work from home. By the looks of it, working from home will be more prevalent, even after COVID settles. So, how can you balance work and personal life being under the same place and still keep productivity up?

Create a Consistent Work from Home Schedule

First thing first, when it comes to productivity and working from home; schedules. Schedules are key! There are different ways you can set up your work flow. Either by time blocking your days or dedicating certain days of the week for certain tasks. These are just a couple, but there are more ways. Find what works best for you and stick with it!

Prior to blogging full-time, I worked as a teacher for 4 years. Schedules are what I lived by during those years. When I made the switch to blogging full-time, having a consistent work schedule was essential for my productivity. It helped me keep a sense of normalcy. Along with that, “new month, new goals” is a great motto to live by and keep up with consistency.

Wake-up an Hour Earlier

Although, this may not be a fan favorite, it’s an effective one! I’m sure we all dread that annoying buzzer that interrupts our beauty sleep. Even though, it may interrupt our precious sleep, waking up at least 1 hour earlier than our scheduled work time can increase productivity. Not only does it allow for morning tasks, but it also allows us more time to slowly become coherent. 

A good tip to help wake you up in the morning is doing something active. Not only can working out help you wake up, but it energizes you and gets your metabolism going bright and early!

Get Dressed Up Weekly, even when You Work from Home

In most cases, when people think of working from home, they think of wearing pajamas while working at your desk. Don’t get me wrong, who doesn’t love sitting in their comfy PJs all day? Stretchy pants and loose Tees all day, please! Although being cozy while working is desirable, once a week try dressing up for work instead. Dressing up, even if it’s only once a week, can help your mental health and positivity!

Set Boundaries Between Work and Personal Life

With working from home being a popular option, especially during these times, it can be hard to find a good balance between work and personal life. Because work and home life are now under the same roof, there needs to be some type of boundaries and separation. There are various options on how to do this. 

Some options may include, putting your phone on Do-Not Disturb between certain hours or not connecting your work email to your phone. Try taking lunch breaks outside of your home work space to get some physical separation. Another good tip for separation, is not discussing work at the dinner table. Although, this isn’t you physically working, it gives your mind a break and the separation it needs from work.

Set-Up a Separate Work Space to Work from Home

Going along with boundaries, having a separate work space can help your productivity immensely! With many people working from home, each home life scenario is different from person to person. Some may have kids, pets, etc. they need to care for or are in the general home spaces during the day. Having a space that is separate from all the potential noise and distractions can boost your productivity!