Whether you’re working from home temporarily (thanks, coronavirus), you work for one of those work-from-home companies, or you’ve chosen a career path where you work from home all the time, learning how to be more productive at home will give your career a boost and keep you happier at the same time. It’s not all about the right home office ideas or office colors: A few ground rules and firm boundaries will set you up for WFH success.
Working from home tips
Despite the current spotlight on digital nomads and flexible schedules, working from home still isn’t for everyone. If you thrive on the camaraderie of watercooler chitchat or are tempted to waste time online shopping or on social media without a watchful eye to tether you down, you probably aren’t the best candidate. “Don’t kid yourself and think you don’t need a babysitter for young children if you’re working at home,” says Maura Thomas, a productivity expert and the author of Work Without Walls. With older kids, who can better understand boundaries while you’re working, come up with a signal that lets them know you really can’t be disturbed: a closed door, a sign that says HARD WORK HAPPENING, or one of those business time clocks that say WILL RETURN AT 5 P.M. It can be difficult for kids to fight the urge to interrupt you. One idea, says Julie Morgenstern, an organizing expert and the author of Organizing from the Inside Out, is to leave a chalkboard outside your door so your kids can write down what they need to talk to you about. “It removes the burden from them to remember later and lets you know what your kids need so you’re not blindsided when you’re done with work,” she says. With pets, set a schedule for walks—every three hours, say, so you both can stretch your legs—and fight the urge to step away from your computer to play with them. (Of course, if they can sit quietly in your lap while you work, a WFH buddy might be nice.) If you don’t have a home office, figure out a space that has enough surface area for the nature of your work and that won’t lead to laptop neck and back strain. (The dining room table is fine.) Just make sure you clean up your work at the end of the day, with no stacks of papers around. “That way, work won’t bleed into family time,” says Morgenstern. “You don’t want your space to drain you—you want it to energize you,” Morgenstern says. “That doesn’t mean you need to be a neat worker. Just file papers away in boxes so you’re not staring at them.” Limit the stuff on your desk or work surface to whatever you’re working on at the moment and a few things that inspire you, like a piece of art or a plant that brings life into your space. If you tend to stay up late or sleep in, you can help synchronize your body clock so you’re alert during working hours by stepping outside for 15 to 20 minutes each day. According to experts, sunlight helps stimulate the pineal gland, which produces melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. “When there isn’t a specific cutoff time, it can be hard for people to step away from their work,” says Katharine Zaleski, cofounder and president of PowerToFly, a recruiting platform for remote and tech jobs for women. If you’re housebound, Michelle Goodman, author of My So-Called Freelance Life, recommends “virtual watercooler chitchat”―emailing pals during scheduled breaks or reaching out to also-WFH coworkers over your office messaging tool. If you’re tempted to throw in a load of laundry when you should be filling out TPS reports, work for 25 minutes, then allow for five-minute housework breaks. Schedule it on your calendar as you would any work appointment. This way, you can set a timer to tackle some chores, then get back to work. Along the same lines, treat doctor visits and other appointments as if you were in the office: Go first thing in the morning or at the end of the day. “We behave differently based on what we’re wearing,” Morgenstern says. When you work from home, you should get dressed into work clothes (not a suit but not yoga pants, she says). Then, once work is done, change into lounge clothes. “Your body will relax and know you’re in a different mode,” she says. Finally, have a plan for what you’re going to do once you’re finished with work. “You can only compete with the lure of sending one more email if you have a compelling alternative, whether it’s going for a walk, cooking dinner, or hanging with your kids," says Morgenstern.
