Working from home is such a huge blessing – I am more flexible, no commute, I wear what I want, no packing lunches… pretty sweet, right?
Yes – BUT – there are quite a few caveats to working at home that can potentially make you miserable. Isolation, monotony, less accountability, and the housework that feels like it’s silently screaming at you to name a few!
I’ve learned a lot about making working from home a better experience for me and making myself and my workspace a priority has only increased my confidence, income and success.
I’ve put together my top 5 tips that I feel have helped me the most as a work from home entrepreneur!
How to Successfully Work From Home
1. Invest in Your Workspace
For well over a year, I felt like my income didn’t qualify me as a “real” business owner, so I didn’t even have a real desk or dedicated workspace. It’s embarrassing to admit, but in my first year of business, I conducted all my Zoom calls and live videos with my computer on top of a SHOE BOX. It wasn’t even on a table, it was on my husband’s nightstand so that I could have a wall behind me.
There’s nothing wrong with humble beginnings, but the problem was that my computer was on an unstable surface, I had to scramble to arrange my setup every day, and it really didn’t make me feel good about my work – even though no one else could tell.
When I decided to invest in my desk, it made a world of difference. I felt more comfortable, confident and like my work mattered more – which meant more productivity, clients and income.
The investment is worth it!
2. Establish Boundaries
This one is crucial and probably the most difficult to implement.
You literally have to train your family and yourself to create boundaries around your work hours and stick to them. Just because you work from home doesn’t mean that you can answer text messages all day, do all the housework or respond to someone’s needs immediately. If you do, you’ll never get anything done, but you’ll also be resentful and scattered. Make a plan, establish expectations, communicate, and give it time.
You of course will be dealing with more interruptions when you have kids at home, that’s to be expected. (I think it’s harder for adults to adjust to your new work life than kids!) My clients and I both have had to repeatedly work on this, so if you are struggling – just know that it takes time and it will get easier.
P.S. Your loved ones WILL mess up at some point, so grace and forgiveness are essential lessons here!
3. Plan Quick and Easy Meals
Working from home does save you some time, but that doesn’t mean you should be using your time to cook everything from scratch – even if it saves a few bucks.
I used to make a lot of time-consuming mistakes, but I think the silliest was assuming I could just find something in the kitchen when I was hungry which meant I often didn’t have anything on hand that I liked to eat, or only finding something that took time to cook. I thought it wasn’t necessary to plan breakfast or lunch just for myself, but I was SO wrong.
Now, I make sure the kitchen is well stocked with fast & nutritious short-cut foods like overnight oats, salad kits and iced coffee!
It has made a world of difference – I can spend time cooking and prepping food only when I can really enjoy it.
4. Time Block
I’m not exactly the best at this, but I strive to get better at it every day.
Time blocking means that you block off certain times (and stick to them) for very specific activities.
For me – I block off time for client calls on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s only. This leaves my other days open for non-work appointments.
Then I block off other days for one thing – such as writing blog posts or creating social media content.
The benefit of time blocking is that it allows you to get into “deep work” mode. You aren’t switching back and forth between tasks.
Once you get started you can get into a flow. Time blocking also helps with family schedules and sticking to those boundaries we talk about before!
5. Schedule Fun and Pleasure
Oh wow, is this difficult!
Think about it – when was the last time you did something just for yourself that you enjoyed WHILE you were doing it – not just to get a result?
It’s kind of tricky!
Self-care includes a lot of things we don’t necessarily enjoy in the moment, but we feel so much better after – like working out, tidying up, going to the dentist. It’s more of a challenge as an adult working toward big goals to actually do things that are fun – purely for enjoyment.
Try to plan 3 things EACH DAY that you do for fun. This is true self-care for your soul AND your brain.
You need fun to feel safe and reduce stress. I promise when you are feeling irritable, resentful, stressed & unfocused – it’s because you haven’t been having enough fun.
Brainstorm some ideas right away and hold yourself accountable!
Can Working From Home Really Work?
Working from home isn’t easy.
But, if you follow the tips I gave you above, I believe you can really be successful.
Working from home is an adjustment for all involved.
Remember to give yourself a place to work, establish boundaries with yourself and your family (and stick to them), plan meals that are not going to add extra stress, learn to time block so that daily tasks do not become overwhelming, and finally, schedule time for you to enjoy life outside of work.
What Tips Have Helped You Successfully Work From Home?
Let me know in the comments below!
