15 must-follow rules to get more done when working from home

Writers, designers and other web professionals know that one of life’s little pleasures is the ability to work from home. This means no hectic commute, bad office coffee, or an uncomfortable desk chair from the strict hours of 9-to-5. Instead, a work-from-home schedule means working at a more relaxed pace and under your own conditions – which, for some, is pyjamas. It also, however, means many added distractions – and lots of them. Despite being committed to the work, people often hit roadblocks throughout the day when confined within the four walls of their own home.

Clare Evans, a time management and productivity coach, admits that it’s not just the surrounding environment that causes distractions. Other difficulties include finding the discipline to sit down and work, dealing with the idea of not being able to “get away from the office,” and a lack of human interaction. On top of this, it’s the chores (“that pile of laundry isn’t going to fold itself”), the kitchen (“I can use another cup of tea”), and the television (“Just one more episode…”) that are major culprits of distraction. Ahead, Evans offers simple solutions for the very difficult task of how to work from home.

Learn more about whether you have what it takes to work from home. 

Whether you have a dedicated office or a small table for your work, make sure that this zone is for work only. It will make it much easier to leave work at the end of the day and not let it trickle into your home life. Pick a spot that’s away from most of the commotion in the house or consider making space in a part of your garage just for your office. Sorry, but your sofa or bed don’t count. One of Evans’ best working from home tips is having a space specifically for work. She suggests using a spare room just for your home office or investing in a comfortable desk and work chair to get the job done. Either way, stay out of the bedroom and off the couch!

Just because you’re home doesn’t mean you can’t be on a minute-by-minute schedule. “Schedule your working day in the same way you would if you were in an office,” Evans suggests. This may be more difficult for those with kids, but consider sharing child-care with another working parent; that way you can both have some much-need uninterrupted time to yourselves. Make sure that you maintain your normal business hours, whatever they may be. Think of yourself as “on the clock” during those hours. Plan to arrive at work and leave work during your same, regular hours. This will allow you to set boundaries between work and home.

Here are the 10 attributes of wildly successful people you should memorise now!

You won’t see your boss or co-workers as often, so it’s important to check in frequently. Send an extra email to confirm receipt of materials, call up a co-worker to check in on a project, and make it clear that you’re accessible and available throughout the day.

Here are 11 things you should never say at work – even if you’re working from home!

Or any break! Take a few minutes out of your day and relax. Make some lunch, get takeaway, or heat up leftovers from last night. Give yourself time to recharge before you head back to work – the rest of your day will go much smoother. This is a tricky, but necessary tip. To keep your mind clear and your thinking sharp, small, relaxing breaks are helpful. It’s important, however, to keep them short. Evans suggests setting a distinct time limit for each intermittent break.

Resist the temptation to straighten up or take on large projects around the house while you’re working from home. Keep your normal cleaning schedule.

Here are 13 secrets of people who always have a clean house. 

It’s tempting to run errands during office hours to avoid the weekend rush, but don’t go overboard. Working from home means that you may get an unexpected email or call about a situation that you have to attend to immediately. Try to keep errands to your appointed lunch hour or simply alert your team that you’ll be out this afternoon and working later in the evening to compensate for lost time.

Resist the temptation to stop your morning dressing and breakfast routine or evening wind-down and dinnertime. Keep things consistent, just like they were when you were commuting to the office, and you’ll keep your sanity in check.

Here are 18 jobs that could disappear within the next 20 years. 

With the ease of online shopping, grocery delivery, food delivery, and even services to stop by and walk your dog, it can become pretty easy to stay home all day. Take a short walk around the block, go out for a cup of coffee, or go for a drive.

Learn the benefits of walking 10,000 steps per day.

Although you’re home throughout the day, avoid volunteering to watch kids or pets for friends and family. This nice gesture can soon prove to be too much as you really need to focus on work during your set work hours. Take advantage of the minutes or hours that you’re not commuting and offer to help out during that time.