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Everyone now seems to play with the idea of working from home. Well, who wouldn’t want it?
Less travel, more rest, less pressure from the toxic workplace, and definitely more flexibility.
In the early years of 2000, everyone seems to be skeptical of any job you can do at home and online. But after the Pandemic hit in 2020, everybody understood the convenience and freedom that go side by side with working at home.
But these kinds of setups don’t usually come in a breeze. There are challenges even when you’re in a comfortable zone.
Whether you’re a freelancer, a blogger, or a solopreneur, it’s important to have the best practices when working at home, especially if you want to maximize your efficiency.
In this post, let’s give you 16 best practices to deal with working from home.
Here we go!
16 Best Practices in a Work-From-Home Set-up
1. Find an appropriate work area
Working from home is a different kind of fun and challenge from working in the office. Obviously, when you’re at home, you have full control of your workstation setup!
But keep in mind, you can’t work just about anywhere.
A good and inviting workstation is an essential aspect when you want to be a freelancer, a WFH employee, or also a blogger running their own digital business. A poor workstation can affect your mood, and may even cause exhaustion, or drowsiness.
For starters, find a location that will/has:
- separate you from the bustles of your own home — an empty space in your home will be the best since you’ll get fewer distractions and you got noise barriers from the people in the house.
- keep yourself away from bed — or else you’ll find your bed more attractive than your desktop!
- proper lighting — to avoid long-term consequences due to strained eyes.
- dividers — to limit the distracting movement around you.
2. You must have a schedule.
If you speak with my family about my work ethic in my first years of WFH, they might tell how they doubt if I was really working. Lol. I don’t look like it!
That said, they always knocked on my door and asked me for some errands.
The problem is, I’m so into flexible work hours that I sometimes spend it lazing around. And my family catches me in the act. I’m supposed to get things done but in truth, I haven’t made any progress until 3 PM.
What I did to make up for my “lazy hours” is to cram myself at midnight. I wasn’t tired during the day, anyway.
And so I’ll sleep late, finish my tasks, and woke up late in the morning..
My schedule was a M-E-S-S.
But now, I learned a valuable lesson.
When you’re an entrepreneur or freelancer that works on your own hours, it’s still important to assign yourself a specific schedule. Like, 8-4? 9-5?
Flexibility doesn’t have to mean losing discipline.
When you keep discipline in your schedule, you get more things done. It avoids overlapping your work hours with your family time and sleep.
I, myself, am working from 8AM- 5PM.
Sometimes, I wrap up earlier when I’ve finished my tasks. On other days, I work overtime which rarely happens. But the general schedule is, it’s 8-5.
I realized that starting on time boosts my mental energy. On the contrary, being late gives room for more distractions and excuses for why I can’t do any work. The later I work, the more I get reasons to not work.
In short, no tasks were accomplished.
So give yourself a work hour schedule – whether that’s 4 days a week, afternoon to evening, or a schedule similar to mine. What’s important is you will have a guide and firm direction for your day.
3. Prepare your tools before getting to work
Just like all the travels and preparations when working in the office, you also have to prepare your tools before your work at your home.
- Get your water jug.
- Bring your coffee.
- Bring in some snacks.
- Make sure your earphones are in place.
- And get your camera ready for receiving calls.
When you’re working at home, distraction is your best enemy. It’s hard when you have to get up and go outside of your working station just to get your jug.
Remember, you’re at home. Anything can distract you especially when your family’s the distracting type!
4. Take a shower.
I’ve been working at home for almost three years. As a blogger, my atmosphere has always been in front of my desktop, using my tablet, and getting updates from partners. To be honest, being in this industry made me feel annoying sensations and an urge to “go far away where there are no more screens.”
I get tired of the radiating light. I get tired even when I’m at home.
Even an introvert like me has its limit.
However, showers are a different treat.
It boosts our energy and keeps us not only physically fresh but also mentally.
A study shows how taking baths and showers betters fatigue and stress — significantly improving physical, mental, and even emotional health.
I usually take my shower hours before or after my hectic day. And voila! I’m energized once again and all the headaches and boredom are gone.
5. If you have a morning schedule, wake up 1-2 hours earlier.
Here’s another way to free you from distractions when working.
Wake up an hour early and finish all your chores.
When I know I have left things a mess, it urges me to walk away from my workstation and clean things up. When you know your chores at home and didn’t finish them in your vacant time, believe me. It will keep nudging on you. So what happens? You try to finish your chores side-by-side with your work!
I’m someone who’s guilty of these, too. Sometimes, I’m working while doing the laundry.
Sometimes, I start my work late, simply because I haven’t had the first coffee of the day, yet. I love to have peace and quiet with my morning coffee, okay?
It’s a poor work ethic and I don’t advise it.
That said, do everything before your work hours so you won’t have to be distracted by house chores or “rituals” you do before work.
6. Instruct your family about your schedule and guidelines.
As mentioned above, when my family knocks on my door to ask me for an errand, I either follow them (and get distracted) or get angry.
That is why you should have a specific work schedule. It’s not only for you but also that your family would know when you’re available.
It might be a bit challenging to get everyone on board with this idea at first, but if you consistently stick to these designated hours, it will become a habit for them to avoid disrupting you during that time.
Of course, it’s equally important that you follow your own rules and respect your work hours, as it sets an example for others to do the same.
7. Phones away.
It’s crazy how just a minute of looking at important e-mails can turn into a mindless Facebook and Instagram scrolling session.
And before you know it, an entire hour has slipped away.
Well, putting your phones away is one effective way to avoid distractions. But I admit it’s been hard for me, too. Especially now that I and my friends are planning a nature getaway.
I caught myself looking for my phone 6 times now. Dang.
To solve this issue, I tucked my phone away in my drawer where I need to walk out of the room before getting it.
Hide your phone somewhere that’s not easy to reach. Maybe in the living room or tucked away in your drawers—anywhere that’s at least five feet away from you, or hey, even farther if you can manage it!
8. Stack your food and maintain healthy habits.
Preparing your snacks and placing a coffee machine nearby your workstation save you time during your work hours.
This way, you can simply reach for a prepared meal or snack when hunger strikes.
From my experience, I’m prone to over breaks because I didn’t have the snacks I wanted within my vicinity. So what do I do? I get off my workstation, decide which meal to cook, or scroll on my phone, looking for satisfying fast food to order!
It’s not very efficient! So next time, stack your coffee, snacks, and meals, and you’ll save a lot of time!
9. Take breaks.
One reason why people get more exhausted and burnt out is sitting for extended periods of time. Although you’re in the comforts of your home, being stuck in the same place for hours can negatively impact your focus and overall well-being.
That said, don’t batter yourself with work, and take regular breaks.
You’ll notice that it replenishes your mental juices. Go get some fresh air.
You might consider taking shorter breaks throughout the day, such as 10-15 minutes every few hours, to stretch, or relax.
Engage in activities like stretching, walking, or simply stepping away from your workspace to clear your mind.
10. Stand up and move around.
Because you no longer need to walk outside to go to work, make sure that you give a higher focus on becoming more active.
I tell you, stagnating and being complacent about the convenience of the WFH setup can take a toll on our bodies.
In three years, I’ve gained weight and the lack of exercise led to my worsened asthma and weak bones. Now, I’m making a change by regularly exercising and lowering my food intake.
Take short walks, do exercises, or stretch your body to boost circulation and maintain physical well-being.
Also, invest in a standing desk or utilize ergonomic tools to alternate between sitting and standing.
11. Be conscious of your posture
It’s not a good idea to work on your bed or sofa. Not only do these make us doze off but the posture gets hit big time and the pressure on our muscles can take a toll in the long run.
Instead, ensure your workspace is ergonomically set up, with an adjustable chair and a desk at the appropriate height. Sit with your back straight, feet flat on the ground, and shoulders relaxed.
Being mindful of your posture will prevent discomfort and potential musculoskeletal issues.
Here are some ergonomic equipment to keep your posture and physical health:
12. Set a time for the lunch break.
I’m here again to remind you about over breaks. (Because I was guilty of this and I needed to deal with it for a long time! Lol.)
When you’re a freelancer or a blogger, it’s so easy to be lured into a “lazy day,” simply because you may seem to have all the time in the world.
If you have an hour at lunchtime, make sure to stick to it and get back to your work on time.
A few-minute slip-up can turn into 10 minutes. Ten minutes can turn into an hour. It’s really tempting to just snooze off after lunch but you better not.
13. Keep your workplace clean.
A cluttered workspace can hinder your concentration and overall productivity. That’s obvious.
Coffee stains? Is your table cluttered with trash? Ugh, the distractions can take you away from the real goals of your day.
Take the time to declutter and organize your home office before your work hours. Keep essential items within reach.
Remember that a clean and organized environment promotes focus, creativity, and a sense of calm while working from home.
14. After work hours, give yourself time away from gadgets.
Working from home often dissolves the boundaries between personal and professional life.
One way to keep yourself mentally and emotionally healthy is to give yourself a break from electronic devices.
Unplug!
Engage in activities that help you unwind, such as reading, spending time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, or practicing mindfulness.
Disconnecting from gadgets allows you to rejuvenate and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
15. Restrict time for social media.
Be conscious whenever you’re scrolling your social media. As advised above, having your phone near is a temptation in itself.
Say, you’re checking important e-mails. But 5 minutes later, your fingers seem to find their way to Instagram and Facebook because admit it, it has become a habit.
That said, limit your access.
What I do is I log out of my social media accounts and again, tuck my phone away in the farthest room possible. This way, you have nothing to do but finish the task in front of you!
16. Take days off.
As someone who works without a boss, I take breaks only when I know I need it. And it’s important to be aware of your own body.
Being your own is different from being an employee. To be honest, working solo and trying to make circumstances work for you may even require more than 40 hours a week.
When I have a project set up, I can work for weeks without days off.
But then once I feel the stress and burnout consuming me, I’m not starving myself of rest. Rest if you must!
I can allot myself two days or even a week-long off so I can go back fully replenished and ready to take on another project.
That’s how we can be kind to ourselves. 🙂
Conclusion
Working from home offers tremendous flexibility, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. And in this work setup, you ultimately have to consider these factors:
- Your schedule
- Scrapping off distractions
- Above all, take care of yourself.
Try to incorporate these best work from home practices into your daily routine to create a fulfilling and successful work-from-home environment. I hope these gave you insights. Thanks for reading!
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