In the face of work places being shut down, kids staying home from school and people starting new businesses I thought I would whip up some helpful tips. Working at home comes with a unique set of challenges, so I have compiled a list of 8 tips for managing your work from home life.
Stay organized
An important key to success is organization. It’s funny I say this because currently my office is a wreck but its true! Working from home will provide you with endless freedom, so it is up to you to put structure in place. Try making an outline for your week, then creating a detailed plan each night for the following day.
Optimise down time
For me this includes doing laundry, yoga or playing with the chickens. If you have all of that other stuff covered and working from home is your main gig then WORK ON YOUR BUSINESS! Make use of this time by developing your business processes, improving your products, taking inventory and doing marketing activities.
Understand your priorities when working at home
Have a clear understanding of your priorities. Obviously family is always number one but with that being said no work equals no money so there has to be a balance. There will be times when you have limited time due to personal commitments, so you need to know where to spend your time.
Keep motivated
Set goals to keep you on track. This should include short, medium and long-term goals. Having them written down will ensure you know what you are working towards and keep you driven when things get tough. I’m a big advocate of very rarely multi tasking #teamsingletasking. Doing one single task to completion can increase you actual productivity believe it or not.
Try to set boundaries when working at home
With any home-based business, working from home or side gig work boundary setting is key. Work and personal time can quickly overlap. For folks who are starting a home based business during this time this will be one of your main troubles. The reality of starting a new business is that you will need to put in a lot of hours and will have to make time to get your business started. Try implementing certain boundaries like always sitting down for dinner or starting every morning by having breakfast with your kids. This way you will protect some of your personal time.
Know when to take a break
Even this is a new gig for you or just a temporary thing do to the corona virus taking breaks is so important to maintaining a health flow. A business run from hom requires a lot of time and you may end up working around the clock, defeating the purpose of flexibility. Make the most of opportunities to take a 10 minute break. If you can get away from your work, have a mid-week Facetime catch up with a friend, play a quick game with the kids or drink a cup of tea by yourself .
Outsource when necessary when working at home
If possible and practical, outsource. There are a range of online platforms where you can find specialists for good rates and it will take something off your plate. My personal favorite is Fiverr! Remember work smarter not harder 🙂
Remember to network
Working from home can be isolating, especially if you are a one-man band. That was the number 1 thorn in my side when I first got started. Remember to network online – it will be good for your wellbeing but also might result in some good opportunities. There are several Facebook groups doing online summits in the face of the shut downs, take advantage of them.
As always make sure you join me over on Mommy Hasn’t Showered FB HERE
Another great post I have here is: Helpful Tips to a Journaling Routine
