Work From Home Tips, From Those Who Do It Full Time

You went from a structured, focused place of work to your living room couch.  Where you once had someone keeping your time in check, now the only ones keeping dibs on you are your dog, and your hungry child.  Working from home is a new reality for millions of us. How can we work from home well? How do we stay focused? How can we be productive? How can we unwind, when there’s no physical disconnect between work and play?

We found work from home pros in a variety of industries, who work remotely full time.  They share with us their best tips for how they make it work.

Scheduling:

Jenna Braddock, Dietician Nutritionist and Media Spokesperson: 

Honor the morning as the most productive time, do not check your email until after you have finished something you need to do and work on self-awareness. 

Milly Hackett, Operations Manager, WheelHaus: 

Segment your day. Use a calendar to divide the goals you want to achieve during the day and week. Use apps, like Asana and GoogleCalendar to keep you organized!

Brad Jones, Pastor:

 Try to keep some form of routine. Get to bed at a decent hour. Every episode of Tiger King will be there tomorrow. Have a routine to start the day... pace is key. Take breaks. Set start and stop times. Include exercise to break the monotony.

Jenn VanHekken, Enneagram Coach: 

Start your workday with a morning routine that is different from your weekend routine. Whether it’s coffee and a work out, reading a specific business journal, or having breakfast with your family, when you start your workday with a consistent rhythm and routine, you will be more prepared and focused for the day ahead.

Organization:

Kate Erickson, Engine @ EOFire:

Remove distractions, set your workspace up for success, and have a plan in place for how you're going to tackle your to-do list every day, then working from home will quickly become your favorite, most productive thing!

Keila Drum, Virtual Assistant:

Work on your discipline.  What helps me to stay on task is to map out my whole week in advance. When I see it in front of me, it reminds me to stay focused until I finish my work.

Eddie Ortega, Sales Director:

Stay connected with your team and/or network to stay accountable and constantly be reminded of your mission. This is where a personal coach brings tremendous value especially if you’re working remotely.

Workspace:

Laura Botu, Graphic Design Manager:

The environment I work in really affects my productivity and focus, so I bought some fresh flowers and candles. I love to build a more aesthetically pleasing workspace.

Lauren Arrington, Realtor: 

Scheduling time to exercise helps my mind stay clear and gives me energy to tackle the day. Also, having a space solely for work helps me compartmentalize the home responsibilities vs the professional responsibilities.

Gabrielle Compton, Realtor:

Defining a designated workspace that only includes my essential business material is extremely important for me when working from home. This eliminates distractions and provides me with the prime focus I need to complete my workload proficiently.

Erika Diaz, Photographer: 

Don’t work from your couch or a comfy spot... whatever you do! Pick a spot and make yourself a workspace. Hide your phone or delete social media apps for the day. Burn a candle, play music. Have a notepad with your to do list or a time block calendar to keep on track with your daily tasks. Get dressed for the day as if you’re going to work. 

John Lashbrook, Owner; PixelWorks:

It is critical to have a designated office or work area. Spend a little time to set yourself up so that you can be productive and isolate yourself from the other distractions in your house.

Lauren Sigmond, VP of Operations:

Get a standing desk. It’s so much better for your posture and your whole body. Plus, it keeps you energized.  Get an AfterShokz headset. The speakers don't go in your ears so you can listen to music while still listening out for your kids, and switch easily to taking a call. It's also nearly impossible for them to fall off, so you can fit in a yoga break while being on a call with a client.

Working with kids at home: 

Heather Holt, Photographer: 

Use the mornings to get in about an hour of work while the kids eat breakfast, play, and watch a show. Then it's adventure time...the more you play with them the happier they are, and the easier it is to get some alone time to work in the afternoon.

Chris Tuff, Author:

If you have kids, order an iPad Pro with cell service, so you can deal with bandwidth issues. Also, overcommuniate with everyone. 

Christina Morris, Professional Organizer:  

Create a family work zone in one room of the house to eliminate constant back and forth. This will also help breaks to feel like real breaks, leaving the space to have movement, snacks or free-play in another area. If working from home is new, try recreating your desk space as it would normally be at your office facing away from any "house chore triggers".  

If you’d like someone to help you get organized and maintain productivity, let us know. We’ll get you connected with a coach who will help you create an optimal schedule and strategy to make sure your work-from-home experience is a positive one.