When I first started working from home for a law firm, most of my friends were very jealous.
Who wouldn’t be?
After all, I would be making excellent money while being in almost total control of my schedule. Plus, I’d get to stay home with my baby son.
Unfortunately, euphoria quickly turned into panic as it became apparent that managing my time and work responsibilities at home was far more difficult than I’d imagined.
The structure of an office environment and the corporate world began to feel like two things I desperately needed.
Eventually, however, I built a routine and systems that worked like a charm, and I want you to be able to enjoy them as well!
How to Create a Happier Life When Working From Home
1. Know what works for you
There are lots of little decisions to make when it comes to working from home—like what kind of furniture to buy, how to organize your time, whether or not you should dress up, and what hours to keep.
Experiment to see what works best for you. Don’t worry about the “best practices” that you often hear about. Trust yourself.
2. Get out of the house
Keep things exciting and fresh by getting out of the house to work at a local café or library.
3. Add a dose of fun
Give yourself time for breaks. Listen to music while you work. Let yourself have impromptu dance sessions, if that’s what energizes you.
How to Be Healthier When Working From Home
1. Begin your day with a workout
You don’t have to do an hour-long workout at a gym 45 minutes away. A 5-minute stretching or yoga routine in front of your computer screen can do wonders!
2. Get comfortable
Spending a lot of time working in your home office often means doing a lot of sitting.
Keep your back in good health by making sure your chair helps—not hurts—you.
Ergonomic chairs can be good options, but some actually have curves that aren’t suited to your back and can strain your muscles. Find one that works for you.
Make sure your desk enables you to keep your wrists in a natural position and doesn’t require you to look too far up or down.
3. Stay active during the day
Studies have shown that taking a break for a few minutes each hour will not only give your eyes a break from the computer screen, but will re-engage your muscles and reduce the risk of diabetes, lower your blood pressure, and improve your metabolism.
How to Stay Organized When You Work From Home
1. Set your priorities
You’ll feel really scattered and not make a lot of progress if you don’t have a clear sense of what you’re working towards each day.
Know your overall goal for the entire year. Tara Gentile calls this your Chief Initiative. Once you know that goal, prioritize your monthly, weekly, and daily tasks to accommodate it.
2. Get your systems straight
“Systems” includes everything from what tools you’re using to how the day-to-day operations of your business are managed.
Don’t have any systems in place? Start by listing where you think your business needs some extra love from you and what’s already working.
Some questions to ask yourself:
- Where am I wasting the most time?
- What tasks cause me to miss deadlines?
- Where do I feel like I’m losing money?
3. Do Weekly Reviews
Get into the habit of ending (or starting) your week with a weekly review, where you examine what’s been accomplished during the week, reassign due dates for items that didn’t get completed, and record items that never made it to the list. At the end of your weekly review, look at the upcoming week in order to evaluate the rest of your workload, and, if necessary, make any adjustments.
Strategic meetings like this help you feel grounded and in control.
Are you already using some tools or systems but feel they’re not doing enough for you? Learn how you can make use of their full capabilities. Want to learn more about the wonders of Asana or Evernote?
Great systems don’t develop overnight. They require commitment and baby steps, so stick in there.
Stay True to Yourself and Your Business
At the end of the day you know what’s going to work best for you and your business, so stay true to that. A lot of the “best practices” might not work for you, and that’s okay. As long as you experiment and try to find ways that help you become happier, healthier, and more organized, you’ll be on the right track.
Back To You
What tips do you have for being happier, healthier, or more organized when working from home?
