I blog and write and create as my job. I do this job from home. There are days when I desperately miss having a desk, in an office, that I drove to, tidied up before leaving, and promptly forgot until the next morning. There are perks to working from home, to be sure. However, you must work smartly–or you’ll find yourself at 5pm with nothing done, morning breath, in your pajamas, having only eaten cereal all day. Oh, that’s just me?
Well, frequent Tiny Twig contributor Jennifer Blair is here to fill us in on her secrets. She works hard as a photographer, and just rebranded and relaunched her site yesterday! Head over to see her good work.
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I used to envy those who worked from home. It sounded like such a dream. Then I started my own business from home and suddenly the dream became a nightmare. The house was messier. My to-do list was longer. My days seemed even shorter. It was like I’d wake up, blink and the sun was setting and I was still in my pjs. I was overwhelmed and working my tush off, but still not getting enough done. I had to change. Take these tips from someone who learned the hard way.
1. Set office hours
This has been the most effective thing I’ve done for my business. Instead of checking emails late into the night and then sluggishly getting to work in the morning, I have a pretty strict 8:30-6:30 policy. Having a deadline for the day has made me so much more productive. This also goes for interaction with my clients. They can reach me anytime during those hours, after that my husband and home have my attention. Although I love what I do, it can become a burden if I don’t create boundaries between work and the rest of my life.
2. Take breaks
If I tried to edit a wedding straight for a whole day I would undoubtably lose my mind. (Trust me, I’ve done it before and yes, I lost my mind!) Taking refreshing breaks is important. However, browsing facebook and twitter does not count as a refreshing break. It only distracts. Inevitably I find a link to click on or pretty photos to browse every time I get on. Instead I’ve learned to read a Psalm, take a few breaths of fresh air outside, play a song on the guitar or do a little yoga. When I come back I am more focused for work.
3. Get dressed…at least sometimes
You’ve probably heard the saying “dress for the job you want”. It’s actually very effective, even if you work from home. I feel so motivated and successful when I actually get dressed for the day. Now, I am all for taking advantage of wearing my sweat pants whenever I can, but I also know that getting dressed sets me up for a successful day.
4. Don’t undervalue yourself and your time
Man, this is a hard one to learn, especially when you first start out. Just because you’re new doesn’t mean you’re worthless. Know the value of your time. This is especially important if you’re in business for yourself. If you don’t have confidence in yourself then no one else will.
5. Make time to interact with people
Working from home can get lonely. For the most part I’m by myself during the day. When I first stared my business, I’d almost tackle my husband when he walked in the door. I was desperate for interaction with someone else by the end of the day. Poor husband! On the other hand, he was ready for a little rest and quiet at the end of his work day. After a few months I realized I need to make friendships more of a priority. I try to go out for lunch with a friend once a week. It does wonders for my sanity.
17 Comments on "how to work from home"
great tips, and yes, all very true! i’ve just recently set more disciplined work “hours”, but i need to work on keeping my boundaries so that i stick to them. that’s the hard part!! :)
I love reading your blog posts and was especially encouraged by today’s post. I just love how God brings us encouragement just when we need it. Thanks for sharing.
I can very much relate to much of this! Especially the part about being desperate for company when my husband arrived home and him being desperate for some alone time. It certainly led to some unhappy moments for both of us – trying to compromise for the other yet not getting the essential time/space we needed! Eventually we set up a 30 minute detox time/alone time for when he comes home. Once those 30 minutes are up then he’s all mine! It definitely helped setting up those clear boundaries and breaks and we both feel like we’re getting what we need.
I am in agreement with all of these points. I have been at at home mom for years now and have ran several different types of at home businesses over the years. I have found the setting office hours to be the hardest. Since my children are home all day, I try to do the bulk of my work while they are still sleeping in the morning. I think the second hardest is taking time out to see people, I try to book a lunch with a friend at least twice a month and I run with a group of ladies at 5 am once a week and with a close friend another morning a week just so I too don’t pounce on my husband.
Great tips! I especially like the one about setting office hours. I need to do that more often. It’s too easy for me to check my email, blog, Facebook, iPhone, and whatever else all day long, and all night long. I like the thought of just having a set time to quit, like for me when my husband gets home from work. Perfect!
I love this! Such practical, simple advice!
Thanks for sharing these great tips! My two little ones have just started preschool and I’m hoping that I can use those hours wisely while they’re gone to start pursuing my passions a little more than I’ve been able to recently. I know that it’s going to take some great time management, so these tips were very timely for me today. Thank you! :)
I always dream that one day my blog will be my work, and I’ll be able to work from home! I’m pretty good at setting goals and getting them achieved!
Such great tips. I often work from home and have found myself too easily distrctaed by facebook and twitter (already twice today – whoops!). I also found that getting dressed and ready for the day definitely sets me up for the day and makes me feel more purposeful.
Thanks for sharing.
x Elena @ Randomly Happy
Good ideas. I think setting office hours has to be the most effective thing, and I feel like I will finally be able to do that now that my kids are mostly raised. :)
These are really great tips. I am lucky enough to have a “corporate” job that allows me to work from home – so I don’t feel as isolated. I also started running in the morning with a friend to have a reason to get out of the house every day, (and let’s be honest, to give me a reason to shower.)
Great post! I definitely struggle with setting hours- my husband is a law student, so he’s studying all the time, and I consequently am working all the time. What I find is that if I don’t take breaks, I start to get “creative fatigue” and have a harder time coming up with good ideas and making decisions. Loved this post, and your new website looks awesome, Jennifer!
Completely agree with that last point. I can get so comfortable in my little world that I forget to go outside and enjoy the sunshine and talk with my neighbors.
I can relate to practically tackling husband, but him being ready for a break. We recently joined the gym and that has been awesome for us both–I get to do fun group classes like zumba with friends, and he gets to play sports (most recently racquetball) with other guys who also don’t feel like chatting.
And appreciate your perspective on taking a break. I know time wasters just distract me and zap my energy, but reading your ideas of reading a Psalm, getting outside, or doing yoga just made me feel rejuvenated :)
So… doing laundry doesn’t count as a break? How about dishes? :)
Solid advice! Thank you.
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