{"id":20973,"date":"2022-12-05T13:23:35","date_gmt":"2022-12-05T13:23:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/05\/7-work-from-home-tips-ive-learned-in-10-years-of-doing-it\/"},"modified":"2022-12-05T13:23:35","modified_gmt":"2022-12-05T13:23:35","slug":"7-work-from-home-tips-ive-learned-in-10-years-of-doing-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/05\/7-work-from-home-tips-ive-learned-in-10-years-of-doing-it\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Work From Home Tips I\u2019ve Learned in 10+ Years of Doing It"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Guy
Joe Fedewa \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The number of people working from home has skyrocketed in recent years, but it\u2019s old news for some of us. I\u2019ve been WFH for 10+ years and\u00a0I\u2019ve learned a lot in that time. Here are some tips I\u2019ve picked up.<\/p>\n

I got my first remote job in 2011, and I\u2019ve been working from home<\/a> ever since. What started as just a laptop in my bedroom has evolved to a desktop PC and a dedicated office. While the right tech certainly helps, the key to successfully working from home is building good habits.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The Best Work From Home Apps for iPhone and Android<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Put on Real Clothes<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s start with what might be my most controversial WFH opinion: You should get dressed to work from home. I don\u2019t mean just throwing some sweatpants on over your boxers. Put on some \u201creal\u201d clothes.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to wear a suit and tie, but simply putting on a pair of jeans and a different shirt than the previous day helps me transition into \u201cwork mode.\u201d There are certainly days where I still roll out of bed and go straight to my computer, but I always feel better when I take the time to put myself together a bit.<\/p>\n

Create a Dedicated Work Space<\/h2>\n
\"Office
Don\u2019t look at the cables. Joe Fedewa \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Speaking of \u201cwork mode,\u201d you should have a dedicated space in your home for doing work. You don\u2019t have to have a fancy office; even a desk in your living room will work. The idea is to have a spot in your home that you can go to for work and leave when you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n

That second part is just as important as the first. You don\u2019t have the luxury of leaving your work in a separate building, so it\u2019s important to have a workspace in your home that you can walk away from. It\u2019s tempting to work from bed or the couch\u2014I certainly do that sometimes\u2014but dedicated workspaces are good for maintaining a healthy work\/life balance.<\/p>\n

Work Space on Your Computer<\/h2>\n

Maybe a separate physical workspace isn\u2019t possible. You can also create a separate workspace on your computer\u2014assuming you don\u2019t already have a \u201cwork\u201d computer that you\u2019re required to use. That way, you will have clearly defined work and personal digital areas too.<\/p>\n

There are a couple of ways to do this. I use Microsoft Edge<\/a> for personal stuff, and Google Chrome<\/a> is where all my work happens. In the past, I\u2019ve set up separate personal and work profiles in Chrome as well. The goal is to be able to easily open and then close all your work-related tools at the end of the day, sorta like leaving a physical office.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 10 Awesome Google Chrome Features You Should Be Using<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Stick to a Schedule<\/h2>\n

One of the big benefits of working from home is flexibility, but it can be too much of a good thing if you\u2019re not careful. Try to stick to a schedule as if you\u2019re working in a traditional office environment.<\/p>\n

You might remember something you wanted to do, and since your computer is just a few steps away, it\u2019s tempting to quickly log on and take care of it. However, if you wouldn\u2019t make a separate trip to the office for it, you should wait until tomorrow.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not saying you need to be super rigid about your schedule. Flexibility truly is one of the best things about working from home, and you should take advantage of that. But having some general work hours is another good way of putting yourself in \u201cwork mode\u201d and disconnecting when you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Eat Lunch at Your Desk<\/h2>\n

This tip can apply to people who work at an office as well as those who work from home. When lunchtime comes around\u2014or whenever you get time to eat\u2014get up and leave your computer.<\/p>\n

Why? Similar to the previous tip, you can easily find yourself working more than you should simply because of the convenience. Give your brain a rest so you can finish the day strong. Watch a couple of YouTube videos on the couch, or go pick up some food nearby. Just look at something else while you eat.<\/p>\n

Get Out of the House Occasionally<\/h2>\n
\"Laptop
Joe Fedewa \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Work from home doesn\u2019t have to be work from home<\/em>. If the nature of your job allows for it, you should leave your home and work from somewhere else once in a while. A change of scenery can be very helpful.<\/p>\n

Working from home can be very isolating. All your interactions are happening through a screen and webcam<\/a>. To ward off cabin fever, I like to work from a coffee shop occasionally. It\u2019s nice to feel like you\u2019re actually a part of society for a while, and being around other people can be energizing. It\u2019s not possible with every WFH job, but I highly recommend it if you can do it.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Remote Worker Fired for Shutting Off Webcam Gets $73,300<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Use Do Not Disturb When You\u2019re Off the Clock<\/h2>\n

The last tip is yet another way to maintain a healthy work\/life balance. Working from home requires a lot of communication over the internet, and that means you\u2019re easily reachable at all hours of the day. Unless your job explicitly requires that, you should set some boundaries.<\/p>\n

Both Slack <\/a>and Microsoft Teams<\/a> have settings to block notifications during certain hours. You can also use your iPhone<\/a> or Android phone<\/a> to block apps at certain times of day. It\u2019s important to set boundaries so you can truly disconnect from work. It also allows co-workers to message you without fear of bothering you if they know you\u2019ll see it when you want to see it.<\/p>\n\n

If there\u2019s one theme to take away from all these tips, it\u2019s compartmentalization. Getting dressed, having dedicated workspaces, making a schedule, eating away from your desk, and so on. All of this is about creating clearly defined walls between work and personal life.<\/p>\n

Working from home is not as easy as people might think. You have to actively work at maintaining your workspaces, sticking to boundaries, and keeping yourself on task. However, with a few of these tips in mind, you\u2019ll find yourself being more productive and less stressed out.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> You Should Be Using Focus Mode on the iPhone<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n