In the wake of everyone being forced into remote work, I am getting a lot of questions about how to work from home. It seems like such an easy concept, in fact most of you have been dreaming of this day for a while. But now that it’s here, it just doesn’t feel like you thought it would, does it? It never even occurred to me that over the years of being a freelance writer, I have unconsciously been perfecting the art of working from home so that I finish all of my work on time without going stir crazy. So here it is, my best advice in 5 easy steps!

1.Leave the House EVERYDAY

I put this one first because it is the most sacred rule of all remote professionals. You will reach a point (If you haven’t already) when you say to yourself I don’t feel like leaving the house today. This is the cabin fever talking. When you are working in an office you are interacting with people, breathing fresh air and getting a change of scenery. Even since the caveman days, these are all important things that human beings need to stay right in the head. Seriously, I cannot stress this enough, even if you just take a walk around the block, you need to be leaving the house every.single.day.

2.Designated Work Space

If you don’t normally work from home, you may be thinking that because this is only temporary, you can pretty much set up shop anywhere. For those of you who have already chosen your bedroom, you may have already begun to notice that you are having a hard time sleeping. There is a reason for this, once your brain starts associating your bed with work, you cannot relax when it comes time for sleep. The same goes for the couch. If you have an office great, a private room would be best, but if you don’t have that, then set up at a dining room table or off to the side in a living room. Make it nice, play some relaxing music, surround yourself with good lighting or plants if you can get a hold of them. (Try the BGM channel on Youtube-no commercials!) This will help tell your brain, okay brain, I know this is awkward, but we’re at work now.

3.Exercise EVERYDAY

This rule goes hand in hand with #1. Have you ever heard the expression: “If you aren’t exercising, you may as well be taking a pill that gives you depression.” I don’t think people realize that even if they aren’t hitting the gym, their bodies are still engaging in physical activity all day. Whether it’s walking to your car, or picking up a supplies box from the bottom shelf, you body is in motion when you are working in an office. But when you are working from home, your body is stagnant. So again, even if you can just get up and walk around the block, DO IT. Bonus: don’t forget to stretch periodically to counteract all of the extra sitting you are doing while working from home. Pilates is my favorite for offsetting the remote work life, try this video, it’s quick and non-annoying! 

4.No Snacking

Maybe some of you have already noticed this unfortunate side effect of working remotely. (Or maybe it was that judgmental pink line on your waist as a cruel gift from your pants) Fear not, all of us freelancers have been there. The truth is that idle hands usually find some snacks to hold. Now that you don’t have to schlep to the break room or worry about prying eyes from coworkers, there is really nothing stopping you from eating everything in your kitchen. So when you are following rule #2, try to keep out of sightline from the kitchen while picking a work space. My best advice is to find some great low sugar beverages to give yourself something to sip, it will keep your mouth occupied instead of snacking. Try and keep in mind that if you’re snacking a lot, you probably just need more activities to fill your day.

5.Get out of your Pajamas EVERYDAY

Or, in other words, do whatever you normally do to get ready for the day. Don’t make your mind feel like it’s only purpose for waking up is to sit around all day. Brush your teeth, eat your breakfast , get dressed and go to work. (AKA the new beautiful workspace you set up) DON’T CLEAN ALL DAY. The problem is that just because you’re home, that doesn’t mean you are now a slave to accomplish all the things you couldn’t before. Pick a weekly project, set a timer for 30-60min a day and tackle it bit-by-bit. And for those of you on your 3rd day of binge watching, you can only “Netflix and chill” so many consecutive days before you start to feel like a trash person.  Maybe think about saving that for evenings or weekends so you have something to look forward to, otherwise all your days will start to blur together. And Remember kids, if the wine industry doesn’t drink before 11am, then it’s a good rule of thumb that neither should you. ☺

Stay safe and stay sane out there people! Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you feel yourself going stir crazy or just need some human contact! Just because you are home all day, that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve some self-love!