A big thank you to Aerie for providing this t-shirt and bra for me to experience in exchange for a review. All opinions are 100% my own and I would not recommend a product I did not fully support!
So, I just had the realization that Thanksgiving is now less than 2 weeks away – where has this year gone? Today I wanted to share with you my top tips for working from home and being productive. With my job, I have the flexibility to work from home when I am not on the client site or if I don’t have a meeting in the office. Working from home can be fantastic – it’s comfortable, there’s very little planning involved and no commute (wohoo!!). When I first started working from home, I would let little things distract me from completing my work. Over the past few years, I have developed a strategy that works for me and wanted to share my top 5 tips.
- Limit distractions: Every time I work from home, I am so tempted to turn on the TODAY show and see the top news stories. But, I have found that I will end up watching one segment, then another, and another – until I realize that 15 minutes have passed and I have not finished that email I was intending to send. If anything, I will have some acoustic music playing softly in the background to crate a bit of white noise. Other distractions, such as that heaping pile of laundry in the corner or those dishes in the sink often bother me – I try to dedicate my mid-morning break, my lunch break or my mid-afternoon break to address any of those things. During the rest of the day, I try (it’s not always successful) to put blinders on to those things and treat my work as if it was in the office and not able to complete these tasks.
- Get dressed: As awesome as it would be to stay in PJs all day, it is important to get dressed to prepare yourself to concentrate on work. I have found that if I stay in my pajamas, all I want to do is lounge around. But, when I put on an outfit, like this one, I am able to accomplish more. Now, I am not advocating for dressing in business casual when working from home because what fun is that? I recommend wearing something comfortable that you would be able to run errands in – I often wear my soft skinny jeans from Chico’s and a V-neck t-shirt. Staying in the zone of comfort, it is also important to have a comfortable and flattering bra – this one from Aerie is perfect for work from home days because it looks sleek under a tee and it gives the girls a bit of a lift (double win in my book)! Now that it is getting a little chiller out, I may add an over-sized cardigan and some flats or slippers to keep warm. This outfit makes me feel like I am ready to accomplish life, but I am still super comfortable!
- Find the right work location: For me, I cannot work from my bed or the couch because all I want to do is take a nap! And siting at my desk for too long, starts to make me restless. Other than the kitchen table and my desk, I have found that I can work well in a big comfy chair with an ottoman (aka. one of the comfortable perks of working from home). But, find what works for you – you may have more will power than I do when it comes to naps!
- Make sure to stay hydrated: OK, so this may be an all the time tip – but I find that when I am at home, I totally forget to drink enough water. First thing in the morning, I grab a glass of ice water with a straw and put it next to my computer (not too close….). When I am head’s down in a task, I try to set a time for every hour and half (or maybe 45 minutes – depending on the task) to make sure that I get up and get more water. I have also found that setting these timers creates a focus zone for me and helps to keep me on task during that time.
- Stand when you can: On a phone call? Stand up, maybe walk around a bit if you don’t get distracted. Or can you work from a high counter and type a report while standing? There have been so many studies that show sitting for extended periods are detrimental to our health. At the office, I usually have more routine opportunity to stand up and walk – like going to the next meeting or walking to a colleague’s desk to ask a question. But, when I work from home, I don’t really need to walk anywhere – it can all be done if I have my laptop and phone right by me. I try to take my phone calls standing up, which keeps me up for about 25% of my day! Try it (even in the office) – I can’t tell you how much more energy I have when I do it for even 10-15 minutes.
Aerie Lightweight V-Neck Tee – c/o | Aerie Sunnie Pushup bra – c/o | Chico’s Jeggings | Leopard Tieks | Michele Watch | Notre Dame Tumbler
I hope these tips are helpful to you if you have the chance to work from home! Let me know in the comments about your tips for working from home!
Such great tips for working from home. I’ve started setting reminders to stand up and walk around just to get myself to do it. I find that one of the hardest parts!
Thanks, Michelle!! I totally agree – I can stay seated for hours on end and not realize it until my back starts to get sore. 😀
Now if only I could find a job where I could work from home… 😉
I am definitely one lucky girl that I have the ability to work from home. It definitely has it’s perks!
Lots of reasons I love working from home and all of your tips are a great way to keep working from home healthy!
Thank you, Heather! I appreciate it!!
Getting dressed is so key. My whole day feels different based on that one variable! Standing and hydrating, also great advice! Thanks!
Thanks, Brooke! For me, getting dressed completely changes my mood and focus!
so agree working at home has its advantages and disadvantages. One day I would love to have the opportunity to work at home one day.
Thanks for stopping by, Angie! Sending good thoughts your way to be able to work from home… 😀
Great tips. I work on my blog in between chasing my kids, so I can use a lot of these tips .I need to remember to stay hydrated for sure .
Thanks, Shann!! I try to have a water bottle with me at all times to remind me to drink. If it’s next to me, I will inevitably drink it!
I work from home – and my stand up desk keeps me focused! 😉 Of course there are so many distractions, but I am the type of person that… When she narrows in on what needs to be done, she DOES IT. I have a zillion TO DO lists all around my house so as to keep me accountable too – and there is nothing I love more than… Xing things off my LIST!
I love checking things off my list too, GiGi! And I think you brought up another good tip – having a prioritized to do list helps me to stay focused, in general!
There are some really good tips there which I think I’ll adopt. Especially the water one. I never drink enough. I tend to sit and not get up for ages too resulting in a stiff back so need to work on that too.
Awesome, Jenny! I’m glad to hear that that these tips may be able to help you out! I have found that implementing these small things have improved my mood and energy!
These are such great tips. I love being able to work from home! I typically work at the office for my job, but we do have the option to work from home as well. I try to travel back home often, so it makes it so much easier (and I feel a lot less guilt) knowing that I can do that without interrupting my workflow.
Great tips. It’s easy to just stay in your pjs and turn the tv on but getting dressed helps put you n work mode. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!! I totally agree – those things are so tempting!!
Some great insightful tips for those who work from home! Definitely helps especially with the holiday season right around the corner and needing to get a lot done.
Thank you!! I think that these tips can also translate well to checking those items off my to-do list!
I TOTALLY get distracted when the TV is on in the background! I have an ‘afternoon acoustic’ station I listen to. Great minds think alike!
Great minds do think alike! 😀 I love having background music on – I always seem to focus more while listening to it!
It’s so hard for me to get out of my PJs unless we’re going somewhere, but I need to make the effort as an example to my kids. Standing up during typing is a great idea too.
I agree, Shann. I would love to stay in my PJs all day, but I am just not as productive. I have to trick myself into thinking that I am going to leave the house to work and do my normal morning routine!
Working from home is difficult! So many distractions!
I totally agree, Claire! I normally have to really try hard to not think about the dishes in the sink, the laundry that needs to be done or how much I need to vacuum… haha. Now that I wrote that, I realized I like to procrastinate with cleaning…hmmm…
Great tips on working from home, and cute top! I agree you have to make the effort to get up and get dressed when working from home. I WFH on a pretty regular basis and I have to get out of bed, make my bed (so I’m not tempted to get back in) get dressed and make coffee. Also, I try to take a walk over lunch time. Doesn’t always happen but when it does I find I am more energized and creative! xx http://www.celebratingthislife.ca
Thanks Rox-Anne!! The walk at lunch time sounds great! I would love to get my workouts in at lunch, but my schedule doesn’t allow for it right now!
I work from home and I constantly walk around when Im on the phone
I have definitely found a difference in my posture and my energy by walking around!
I have a little 9 mo old and I really need to establish some routines with my work from home situation…not going so well so far hehe. Thanks for the tips!
You’re welcome! Good luck in establishing a routine. For me, that is the hardest part – trying to figure out what works best for me. Once, I have it established, it is a breeze!
I also work from home and these are some very useful tips!
Thanks, Zoey!
so hard to change out of pjs!
I completely agree with #4 and 5. I recently went back to corporate world after taking hiatus for one year. It feels different and I can’t work in my PJs anymore *sad face* On a brighter note, I get to see my husband often since we carpool to work.