10 Work From Home Tips | Updated 2020

This 10 Work From Home Tips post was originally written in September 2015 but updated in March 2020.

Contrary to belief, I have a job other than blogging. I currently work from home full time as a people+project manager for a company that has nothing to do with travel. I’ve worked at this job for almost 3 years but my WFH (work from home) experience goes back almost 10 years, which is why I feel confident giving work from home tips!

When people find out I work from home, I get asked a lot of questions and often for advice if they’re thinking of doing the same. In this current climate (COVID-19), a lot of people are directed to work from home if possible and I’ve received a lot of questions on tips to be most effective at work when at home. After working from home for 10 years, I’ve gotten so used to it that I’m fairly disciplined to make sure I keep work and home separate. But with that said, I totally get it! I’m sharing my updated (2015 -> 2020) tips and tricks on working from home.

Below are 10 tips on working from home: 

1. Change and close the bedroom door:This might sound strange but I make sure I get out of my pajamas and into regular clothes. Not necessarily a suit of course, but anything that you can be seen outside in. Then, I close the bedroom door and won’t go back in there until night time. This really helps keep the bedroom a bedroom. 

You’ll notice a trend in this post of doing things to separate work and home, which you’ll realize quickly is very important for your well-being and sanity!

2. Brew coffee and eat breakfast before work hours:It’s so easy to start working and forget to start the day off right. If you’re a coffee drinker as well, I always make sure to brew a cup (or two) of coffee and eat breakfast before work starts. If you can eat breakfast away from your laptop but definitely carry your coffee into your workspace!

3. Establish Your “Office” or Work Space: If you can afford to have a separate room to call your office at home, great! Easy peasy. If not, that’s ok, but make sure you establish a work space whether that be your dining table or that small desk in your bedroom. Set up your laptop there, as well as whatever else you need for work in that space and don’t move it! That’s work. That’s your office. Establish that.

4. Work in my home-office 99% of the time:When work hours start, I close my office door and work there for the entire day. I never bring my laptop out to the living room on the couch or the bed. The only single exception is if it’s beautiful outside; then I treat myself and take my stuff out to the patio.

Another thing I’ll add is, if you have the flexibility, getting a change of scenery is nice. Which is why I once in a while will head to a coffee shop with my airpods and get some work done. Of course in this current state (COVID-19 times), I would recommend truly working from home.

5. Take breaks: Make sure you take breaks and even better, schedule breaks for yourself first thing in the morning as you plan the day. It’s so easy to stay on your computer during breaks but I always make an effort to leave the office and do something non-electronic/non-work.

Things you should do during breaks: hang out with your pet(s), make yourself more coffee, read a chapter from a book, take a quick walk.

Things you shouldn’t do during breaks: home chores. Just don’t do it! Keep work and life separate. Think about it, if you were in an office, would you use your 15 minute break to go home and unload your dishwasher? I think not!

6. Eat lunch outside the home-office: I get it, sometimes you can’t afford to take a 30 minute or 1 hour lunch and you have to eat through the work day. I get that and it’s going to happen. Buuuuut when you can, try to eat lunch away from your work space.

7. Stretch:Always make sure to stand, move around and stretch! Self-explanatory, yes?

8. Have snacks ready: One thing I do allow in my home office are snacks. Whether it’s fruits or sometimes junk food (shit happens, am I right?), I remember to snack moderately so I’m not binging for dinner.

9. Keep your phone in a different room: “Whoah whoah whoah, my PHONE?”, you say.  I get it, I get it. This is almost impossible when the average American picks up their phone 12 times per hour unnecessarily. This one is hard and I’m guilty of going against this at times but I really do try to keep my phone in a different room. Again, I don’t like or want my work and leisure time to mix so I wait to check social media or shop online until after work hours.

10.Close the office door:Once the work day is over, I shut down my computer, put everything away and close the office door. Same as my bedroom in the morning, I won’t go back in my office until the next work day. If you don’t have an office but you have that work space set-up going (see #3), shut your laptop and leave that space or even better, clean it up and put it away until tomorrow. 

Just some additional information:I’ve made a lot of mistakes but this is the perfect routine for me where I find I’m most productive. Obviously it’s different for everyone but I just find that I personally need to very clearly separate work space and home space inside my house or else everything starts blending together; thus creating this strange, blur of a day. I hope this helped if you’re getting used to working from home or thinking about doing so!

Do any of you work form home? Do you have any work from home tips you can share that I might find helpful? 

♥♥♥

Pin for later!