S3 E8: Tips for working from home
Episode Notes:
So for today's podcast, I had actually planned to share an episode about Times I've Turned Down Money in my business. But with things the way they are in the world at the moment, with an economic downturn and small business owners already struggling to keep afloat amid the coronavirus panic, I just didn't feel that it made sense to post that right now.
So instead, I thought it would be more relevant to share my tips for working from home, as I know so many people are now being forced to do this due to self isolating and potential lockdowns depending on where you are in the world.
In this episode I talk about:
How I experienced the transition to working from home (01:31)
“Self-motivation is definitely a skill that you develop over time” (02:29)
Why establishing a daily work routine is important, and what mine typically looks like (03:23)
One of the best ways to get out of bed and avoid the temptation of a lie in! (05:34)
How to stay focused and be more productive during the day (06:22)
Tips to avoid work blending in with your free time to ensure a better work-life balance (06:58)
Why a dedicated workspace or home office will do wonders for your focus and productivity (07:48)
The importance of setting boundaries when working from home (08:43)
Different ways to socialise and tap into your support network from home (10:15)
I hope that if you're being forced to work from home right now, you can find these tips useful, but most of all, stay sane and stay safe! x
Read the transcript
So for today's podcast, I had actually planned to share an episode about Times I've Turned Down Money in my business. But with things the way they are in the world at the moment, with an economic downturn and small business owners already struggling to keep afloat amid the coronavirus panic, I just didn't feel that it made sense to post that right now.
It was going to be about making sure you're working with the right kinds of clients and things like that, but right now, there should be no shame in doing whatever you need to do to make your business survive, and to bring income in for your families. So I just didn't feel it was relevant.
So instead, I thought it would be more relevant to share my tips for working from home, as I know so many people are now being forced to do this due to self isolating and potential lockdowns depending on where you are in the world.
I know there's so many resources being shared about this at the moment, but it's quite not to add to the noise when it's such a huge elephant in the room for literally everyone right now! I just hope that anything I share feels comforting rather than stress-inducing, because god knows we don't need anymore stress.
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I started my business back in 2015 as a side hustle while working for a software company, and after a year or so I ended up leaving and working full time for myself, from home.
I personally didn't find the transition THAT hard, because if I'm honest, I've always been massively introverted and have always needed my own space and quiet time to do work. Even when I was at that software company, I was lucky enough to have my own office for most of my time there, and generally kept myself to myself because that's the type of environment I need to focus.
But I know not everyone is the same, and it can be a shock to the system if you're going from working in an open plan or social environment, suddenly to being isolated from everyone and needing to self-motivate.
Self motivation is definitely a skill, that you develop as you go along. I do remember when I first started working from home that I would struggle not to get distracted by little things throughout the day, and spent many an afternoon in front of the TV unsure what to do with myself.
At the time I had a very young puppy in the house with me as well, which definitely didn't help with distractions. I don't have kids so I can only imagine how hard it must be to deal their needs and balance a growing business at the same time. Parents - I don't know how you do it, and honestly, my heart goes out to you right now if you're having to navigate this unexpectedly; I wish I had advice for you but I can only hope that some of my tips might just be relevant in some small way.
So my first piece of advice I suppose, is to establish a routine for yourself. When you first experience working from home it's easy to think 'wow - look at all the freedom I have - I can have a totally flexible working day now - I can do whatever I want whenever I want' - and yes, to an extent, of course you can. And that's one of the best things about it, BUT if you're not careful, you can quickly find yourself straying away from what really needs to be done, or getting stressed when you start leaving things until the last minute.
It's funny, most freelancers will begrudgingly reference 'the dreaded 9 to 5', but most of us end up structuring our day in a fairly similar way, although of course it's important to tune in to what works best for you. Consider when your most productive times of day are, and when you start to feel sluggish, and try to work around that.
For me, my daily routine will look something like this:
I'll get up around 7.30, get dressed and make breakfast, and am usually at my desk between 8am and 8.30. I then get through a few hours of pretty solid client work, as I usually feel super productive at this time. Then I'll take a long midday break by going to the gym, coming home, showering, eating lunch, before getting back to my desk.
Then from around 1.30 onwards, I tend to have another productivity spurt after lunch, so I'll get a few more solid hours done until around 5pm, when I'll mark the end of my day by going outside and walking the dogs somewhere.
Generally if I am working in the evenings or on weekends it'll be because I'm working a business growth project, such as creating an online course, rather than doing client work.
It definitely doesn't always look like this, but this is what I try and stick to for the best productivity. And I know at the moment, heading out to the gym isn't an option for breaking up the day - so while I'd usually say making sure you're leaving the house or going outside at least once in a day, I get that right now, it's hard to give that advice.
There are a few important things to highlight about that routine, though. The first is breakfast! One of the best ways to get yourself up in the morning if you're struggling to get up on time - after all, it's SO tempting to have a lie in when you don't have a boss there to make sure you're at your desk at a certain time - is to make yourself a breakfast to look forward to each morning.
It doesn't have to be extravagent! My personal favourites at the moment include a banana and peanut butter smoothie, made with half a frozen banana, a shot of coffee, oat milk and a big teaspoon of peanut butter - or cinnamon oats, where I leave the oats soaking overnight which makes the insanely creamy.
Those two options take less than 5 minutes to make in the morning, but if you have more times, why not try egg and soldiers, or banana pancakes, or something else that's guaranteed to have you leaping out of bed.
Basically, bribery works wonders when you're working from home. I use it ALL the time to motivate myself through tasks I don't want to do.
And it doesn't have to be with snacks and food - because I know that when you start working from home, you may find yourself eating a bit more than you usually would because it's right there in the kitchen! If you're reading a good book, or have a hobby that you love, you could bribe yourself with times to do those things. So for example you could tell yourself that if you finish this dreaded task by 1pm, you can take an hour's break to do that hobby you love.
And then there's the point about having a solid marker for when work finishes, otherwise it can be really easy to let work blend into your evenings and what should be your free time. If you can't go outside to mark this, just try your best to get away from a screen for a moment if you can. Do something with your hands, like baking, or reading a physical book. Then later on feel free to get back on the screens with a computer game or watching Netflix - whatever helps you get into relaxation mode - although I will say that computer games before bed tend to get me wound up so I can't sleep... so maybe not that.
I just think that taking that break from a screen at the end of the day is so important to create that clear boundary.
Another tip for creating this boundary is to have a dedicated space for work, that isn't somewhere you'd usually go for chilling. In the early days of my business I used to work from the sofa, or even work from my bed some days when I was feeling super lazy, but I would highly advise against this.
It ends up really blurring the lines between work and chill time, nowadays I flat out refuse to bring my laptop into the bedroom - even if it's just to watch Netflix or something. I am lucky enough to have my own dedicated office room in our house now, but if you don't have space, my best recommendation would be the kitchen table, as then at least your'e also sat upright and protecting your back as well. Sofa working can have a negative impact on your posture AND your work, whereas if you have a dedicated work space you're bound to be more focused and productive.
Now whilst I don't have children, I do have dogs AND a partner who also works from home, and I think if you are sharing a space with other people there needs to be some clear guidelines or rules about working boundaries.
I know it's easier said than done if you have kids, but try your best to explain when it's most important for them not to interrupt you, and what's expected of them while you're working. With my partner, he knows that if I shut my door, it means I'm on a client call, or recording something, so he shouldn't come in to my office space. We both communicate really openly as well if either one of us are really busy or stressed or in the middle of something, and we'll just say straight to the other person 'sorry, I'm just in the middle of this, can you give me some space while I finish this and I'll get back to you'. It can be hard to get used to this as it sometimes could come off sounding a bit snappy, but we both know not to be offended if we walk in and the other person says something like that, because we know that's what the other person needs at that time, and it's nothing personal.
You could also have a code word or phrase that you use with your family members. So if they step into your work space to talk to you or ask you something, you could whip out the code word and they'll know to give you some space for a minute. If you all agree on this beforehand, it hopefully means no one gets offended by any abruptness! And to be honest, this is probably easier to manage with your family than it is coworkers in an office...
My last tip would be to remember to socialise. You don't have to go outside and meet up with people in person to do this; there are plenty of ways to network, or make sure you're staying in touch with people from home. Obviously there are Facebook groups and forums where you can chat with people online, but you can also set up video calls and conferences with clients, colleagues, or your peers - or just friends and family.
At the end of the day, we're all in this together and still need a support network, no matter how isolated we are, so make sure that even if you're working hard during this time, you still make time for some kind of virtual human contact, because we all need that to stay sane.
I hope you find these tips helpful in some way, and as always if you want to take the conversation further feel free to give me a message on Instagram. I'm @by.rosanna, and I'm always around for a chat if you need.
Stay safe and thanks for listening!
