Tips for Working (Productively) from Home

As an online entrepreneur and Mama, I get asked all the time how do you work from home? Don’t you get lonely? Distracted? How do you focus on work and not doing the dishes or laundry?

In my years of working from home (and being a Mama) I have found a few key strategies that set us all up for success.

Have a Dedicated Work Space

Having a separate workspace or office, preferably with a door you can close and lock, is key to your productivity. When you work at the kitchen table or living room you are surrounded by the energy of your home and most likely the dishes, laundry or household distractions that fight for your attention. Give yourself a dedicated space to spread out, get creative and productive. The dishes and laundry can wait until you’re done.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics at home are key. I had surgery in my late 20’s due to a repetitive strain injury from the computer and learned the hard way that laptops are NOT ideal for our bodies. Neither is working from your sofa or kitchen table, which many of us are guilty of.

Once you set-up your home office, make sure it is set-up ergonomically. If you use a laptop, buy a laptop stand to bring your laptop screen to the appropriate level (check out this one for Macs), an ergonomic chair (I love my Swing Chair) and a wireless ergonomic keyboard and mouse. Your body will be set-up for success and you will enjoy the productivity that goes along with feeling good.

Take frequent breaks

Having an ergonomic work location goes hand-in-hand with this next tip. Part of ergonomics is taking frequent breaks. And chances are, you work at home for a reason and one is flexibility. So cut yourself a break, take a walk outside between meetings, go for a short hike, take a yoga class, do something active that moves your body and gets you away from your computer screen. As an added bonus you’ll find the time outdoors or away from the computer will most likely enhance your creativity, mood and productivity.

Set your children up with support

Children live fiercely in the present and they are so in tune with us they often seek us out from the other room just to reconnect. When we are busy multitasking, trying to answer emails and be a parent we are not fully present. Both my daughters needed to be near me (in the same room) and I learned the hard way that trying to work while they are home is not productive for them or for myself. Yes, having an office door that locks is great but who can have a conference call with a crying child at your door? And further, what message is that sending to my beloved child?

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

I made the choice to invest in childcare outside of our home so I could fully be present with my work when it was work time and with my children when it was family time. It was better for me if I knew my children would have the full attention of a caregiver rather than constantly leaving the babysitter or my husband to sneak up to my office. They also learned some great social and emotional skills along the way. Though the cost of daycare makes me grimace at tax time, I look at this as an investment, and know I would not be the present Mama I desire to be if I chose to work with the kids at home.

Chunk out your time

When you sit down to work have a clear plan of action. Use your calendar and block out specific projects to work on during your workweek. Have consistent times you meet or talk with clients.

To avoid feeling alone, I also schedule meetings with team members, clients and Mastermind sisters throughout my workweek so I know I will be in communication with at least 1-2 people during my day. We are social creatures and crave connection. If you find you are getting lonely, look at how your meetings are set-up and try to make it so you have at least one/day. If not, think about taking a yoga or exercise class on that day to get you out of the house and around other people. I have found just stepping outside to talk to my neighbor for a few minutes some days is really refreshing and all I need. Find your daily, social rhythm and schedule a call to a friend, an exercise class or a meeting during that time.

What are some of your tips and strategies for working productively at home?

Please comment below. I’d love to hear from you! After all, we’re all in this together.