Here are a few tips for working from home without losing your mind. These tips are for any one who is just starting out with working from home or have to because of work or personal reasons.
1. Get up at a regular time
You need to treat working from home as if you were still going into an office. So getting up at a regular time or maybe even a bit earlier will help you to get motivated for your day ahead. Set an alarm and get out of bed at the same time every morning.
2. Set a morning schedule
Setting a morning schedule will help you to start your day off on the right foot. Get up at your regular time, exercise, walk the dog, shower and have a healthy breakfast and make yourself a cuppa.
3. Don’t wear your PJ’s all day
When working from home and you know you don’t have to go out or see anyone it may be tempting to work in your pyjamas all day. Doing this everyday can lead to an unhealthy routine. Make sure that when you get up, have a shower and then put on come fresh clothes.
4. Plan your day
Writing out all of your tasks for the day will help you keep organised and focused. It’s good to leave some time at the end of your day to spend a few minutes writing out the next days tasks too.
5. Eat lunch away from your computer
You might find it easier to eat and continue working but it’s a good excuse to take a full break from work. Eating lunch away from your computer is a great way to refresh your mind and give your eyes a break from staring at a screen all morning.
6. Go outside
Make sure to leave the house during the day as much as you can. Walk your dog, go for a 30 minute walk, water your plants, anything. This will get you away from your work and allow your brain to reset, get some fresh air and generally feel better. Even if you just sit in your garden getting some fresh air always helps. This also breaks up your day and makes the day feel like it’s going by quicker.
7. Learn a new skill
Dedicate some of your time, either daily or weekly, to learn a new skill or brush up on something you can improve on. There are many free online resources that can help with this. Listening to a podcast is a great way to increase your knowledge on any topic you have an interest in.
8. Keep in contact with other humans
Staying social throughout your day will keep you from feeling isolated. Obviously do this within reason don’t sit on social media all day when you have work waiting to be completed.
9. Plan social events for the weekend
Working from home can be isolating at times and you can feel like you are becoming an unsociable hermit at times. Planning social events with your friends for the evenings or weekends will give you something to look forward to when your work week is over.
10. End your day with a routine
Ending your day with a routine is just as good as starting your day with one. This will help you to switch off from work in the evenings. Use this time to write your tasks for the following day, respond to any important emails and switch your computer off. It’s also a great time to go out for a walk and get some fresh air.
If you have any more tips that you think will be great to add to this list then please add them in the comments section below. Or, it would be great to hear if you have any successful routines or tips via email here.