7 tips for working from home

Even though I have a desk in our office at work, when it comes to admin or prep work, I mostly work from home. This is because I’m an utter nuisance in a public office. I walk around, mutter to myself, throw things, and I make loud and largely unhelpful noises when I get bored. I’ve been working at home like this for over a decade now; it hasn’t always worked but I’ve learned some tricks along the way.

For many people today, working from home is a whole new take on reality. And it’s hard! I recognise that I don’t have kids, and I have a dedicated home office, but I think that some of these will still be useful.

1. Dress for work

Don’t just work in your pyjamas, make an effort to prepare your psyche for entering a workspace and time. It needs to feel different from home. Linked to this, don’t skip your usual rituals – eat your breakfast, have a shower – prepare to ‘go’ to work.

2. Get there on time

Start work at the same time each day as much as is possible and keep to a timetable in much the same way that you would if you were ‘at’ work. You don’t want home to start feeling like work but tit should stimulate the work ethic you need to get things done. It’s important to know what time and day of the week it is – so make sure you can also see a calendar too.

3. Create a consistent space

I’m lucky enough now to have an amazing home office, but for years I worked from a tiny desk in the corner of a spare bedroom. Rope out a sacred space just for working. Keep it clear and  ready to use for when you sit down to work.

4. Agree terms with other family members

Make sure you talk with your family about the times and spaces you need to be sacred and uninterrupted. Make some deals, arrange some play dates and dinner dates, and try and help your family understand what you need.

5. Take your breaks

A walk around the house, another brew, a chat with the cat, food, and your ‘daily exercise’ are all healthy breaks from work. Splitting your time up into action points and time slots will help you finish tasks with a sense of completion.

6. Work to a list

I’m a huge believer in the task list. Listing off the jobs you need to do, scoring them on urgency and importance, and then ranking them in order to tackle is a fabulous way to manage your time around a varied group of activities. Then you get the super satisfying feeling of ticking them off!

7. Have a quirk

It’s easy to let the novelty of working from home overtake your actual ability to work. There are things you would do at home that you wouldn’t do at work (like working in Pjs or playing your music in the background or screaming at random intervals), but don’t let too much from home blur those lines. Pick your single quirk and enjoy it.