Working From Home: Staying Focused When Your House Is Your Office

If you’ve never worked from home or are just getting started, you’re probably thinking about how awesome it is to not have to go to a traditional office every day. It definitely is awesome, but it also presents challenges that you might not think about until you’re faced with them. One of the biggest challenges is staying focused. It’s easy to get distracted when you’re home alone and no one else is there to keep you accountable, but there are a few simple steps you can take to make sure you get your work done on time.

Set Up an Office Space

Each part of your home serves its own purpose. The kitchen is where you cook, the bedroom is where you sleep, and the living room is where you hang out and relax. It is important to have a separate office space so that you don’t end up spending your whole workday on the couch or in bed typing on your laptop. If you have a spare room in your home, consider turning this space into an office. Find a desk that is the right height for you as well as a comfortable and supportive chair and any other accessories you’ll need to help you work throughout the day. If you don’t have a spare room or much free space in your home, try to create a home office corner. Invest in a good desk and chair and place them in a free corner in your home. Consider buying a room divider or curtain to offer more privacy for your office space. When you’re done with work, you’ll be able to leave this space and enter relaxation mode.

Get Dressed

When you work from home, you don’t necessarily need “work” clothes–that’s what your pajamas are for! This is the mindset a lot of people have when they start working from home, but it doesn’t mean that wearing your pajamas all day, every day (and every night) is necessarily a good idea. Instead of starting work in the same clothes you woke up in, take some time to put on a real outfit. You don’t have to go overboard with super formal attire, but you should try to wear something you would normally wear when you’re away from home. Getting dressed can help you feel more authoritative and make it easier to get into “work mode” even though you’re not leaving your house. After you’ve finished your work for the day, you can put your PJs back on and get your mind off of work!

Create a To-Do List

Learning how to manage your time wisely is an important skill for anyone, especially people who work from home. When you work at a traditional office, you typically have a list of tasks to complete before you leave for the day. Having a to-do list makes it easier to see what you have to do and figure out which tasks should be completed first. As a freelancer, you will be responsible for setting your schedule and managing your time, so it’s a good idea to create a to-do list before you start working each day. Write down all of the responsibilities you have to accomplish in that day as well as how long you think each task will take. Assign each task a number based on when it should be completed. If you have any longer or harder assignments, it’s a good idea to get those out of the way first and leave the easier tasks for later. As you complete a task, you can cross it off your list. This will help you feel more accomplished and make it easier to keep track of your assignments.

Take Short Breaks

You know what they say about all work and no play. Even the most motivated freelancers can end up feeling burned out if they spend all day working and don’t take any time for themselves. It’s also important to make sure you get enough work done and that you’re not taking too many breaks throughout the day. In order to find a good balance, start by taking a 5 to 10 minute break every hour. During this break, you should get up, walk around, step outside, and enjoy some “me time” where you’re not thinking about work. When you’re not on break, you’ll feel better equipped to spend some quality time sitting in front of your computer and getting your work done. Taking short breaks throughout the day can help you feel more productive, and it will also be beneficial for both your body and your mind.

Work From Not-Home

One of the best ways to stay focused when you work from home is to not work from home every once in a while! It can be easy to start feeling cooped up when you spend almost all of your time at home. This can make you feel less productive, more tired, and less likely to get your work done on time. That’s why it’s a good idea to work outside of the house from time to time. You can visit your favorite coffee shop, head to a freelancing friend’s house, or see if your city has any sort of outdoor or shared office spaces. When you take some time away from your home, it’s easier to feel motivated when you get back to it.

Come Up with a Schedule and Stick to It

Any freelancer can tell you that sometimes it feels like they’re working 24 hours a day. It makes sense: When you work in an office, your workday is done as soon as you leave. When you work at home, however, it can be harder to make a line between work time and personal time. You can avoid feeling like you’re always working by setting a schedule and sticking to it every day. Start working at the designated time and stop working at the designated time so you don’t end up spending all of your time focused on work assignments.

Now that you know how to stay focused, it’s time to start your next writing project. Writers Work makes it easy for freelancers to find people who are looking for quality writers to create content for their websites and other publications. Join our site today and start looking for your next job!