12 Tips to Work from Home Without Losing Your Hair

Working remotely has been on the rise in the United Stated way before the COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of employees to turn their homes into their private offices. 

Those that transitioned to work-from-home before the pandemic probably found it easier to adapt, while those that didn’t are finding themselves struggling to be productive.

Whether you’re dealing with kids, pets, or co-sharing with other family members, we’ve got 12 helpful tips to avoid chaos and keep your hair.

 1. CREATE BOUNDARIES

One of the MOST IMPORTANT tips is creating boundaries around your work hours. This gives your brain structure and clear expectations.

Knowing when you’re “at work” mentally can help you stay focused and be productive. Whether you’re busy or bored, creating this structure is key because it can help you track what day it is and what you’re supposed to be doing at any given time. When it’s “after work” time, you can relax!

For most jobs, this means you can turn off your work devices and spend time doing things you enjoy until it’s time to do it all again tomorrow.

✔️  Maintain regular “in-office” hours. Make sure you communicate these with both colleagues and family. Set a schedule and stick to it as much as possible. Having clear guidelines for when to work and when to call it a day helps maintain work-life balance. 

One of the benefits of remote work is flexibility, and sometimes you’ll need to extend your day or start early to accommodate someone else's time zone or project.

✔️  Use Tracking Apps. Automatic time-tracking apps, such as RescueTime, let you check whether you're sticking to your schedule. They can also help you figure out what times of day you're most efficient versus when you slack off. You can use that information to your advantage by reserving your most productive hours for your most important tasks.

✔️  Set ground rules. Set ground rules with family or others who share your workspace. If you have children who come home from school while you're still working, they need clear rules about what they can and can’t do during that time.

Also, just because you're home, doesn’t mean that other family members should assume you’ll be available to take care of pets or clean up after breakfast. Make sure domestic duties are divided up fairly, so your productivity doesn’t suffer.

2. HAVE A DEDICATED WORKSPACE

If you have a separate office, or even just a desk, consider yourself lucky. If you don’t, there are ways to define your work area to make your space work-from-home friendly.

For example, don’t use your bed for work. Instead, work from the couch or coffee table.

You could also change something in your space to transition it from a work to home, like putting your computer away or lighting a candle when it’s time to relax.

These simple changes tell your brain that it’s time to work or time to relax. 

3. MAINTAIN A ROUTINE

 Routines are an important and useful way to manage relationships and create a sense of normalcy.

✔️ Start Your Day with a Routine.

If you start your day early, a way to signal the start of your day may be to a enjoy a cup of coffee before looking at your to-do list. It might be getting in an early morning workout. It might be getting dressed. A routine can be more effective than a clock at helping you get started each day.

Not everyone who works from home follows a nine-to-five schedule. Your "getting started" routine needs to make sense and work for you.

✔️ End Your Day with a Routine.

Just as you should start your day with a routine, create a habit that signals the close of the workday. It might be a sign off on a business messaging app, an evening dog walk, or a 7 p.m. spin class. Something as simple as shutting down your computer will do. Whatever you choose, do it consistently to mark the end of work.

4. GET DRESSED FOR WORK.

It's tempting to climb into bed and join conference calls in your pajamas, especially if they don’t involve video.

Putting care into your clothes or makeup can help your brain make the switch to work mentality. You'll find you're more productive when you dress for the day and brush your teeth. It can also inspire more confidence and help with depression.

5. TAKE SCHEDULED BREAKS.

It’s easy to get so involved in your work and never look up, or on the other hand, be so bored that you’re constantly getting distracted.

Taking scheduled breaks can also help move the day along and keep you focused.

Don't short-change yourself during breaks, especially your lunch period.  You can use an app like Time Out or Smart Break to lock down your computer for a designated period of time. A simple timer will do too. The key is to make sure to take your full breaks.

6. EAT HEALTHY AND STAY HYDRATED.

Grocery stores are seeing an uptick in snack sales. With so much going on, it’s easy to crave comfort food.  But, it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re eating healthy and staying hydrated from both a mind and body standpoint.

7. MOVE YOUR BODY AND CLEAR YOUR MIND.

It’s normal to feel anxious and “trapped” when working from home with limited human interaction.  If a gym is not an option, there are ways you can move your body and get some mental calmness as well. A couple of free programs to try include:

→ Headspace: free meditation to help stay calm and equip you for  covid-19 challenges

(https://www.headspace.com/covid-19).

 → Yoga with Adriene: free yoga sessions (low key to intense)

(https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene/videos)

Whatever you do, try to take at least 15-30 minutes to move your body and 10-30 minutes to meditate to help your mind & body cope.

8. LEAVE HOME.

To the extent that it's allowed and safe where you are during the COVID-19 outbreak, get out of the house!  Make it a point to leave the house at least once a day. Take a walk. Weed the garden. Play catch with the dog. You get the picture. Fresh air, sunlight and a change of scenery will do you good. If the weather is nice, consider taking a conference call outdoors

9. REMOVE NOTIFICATIONS FROM YOUR TOOLBAR.

While it’s important to keep up with current events, consider only looking at your social media or news outlets once in the morning, at lunch and after you finish for the day. Doing so more than that, unless it is a part of your job responsibilities, can waste a lot of your productive work time.

Music can provide an upbeat environment or white noise. You could also turn on a white noise machine or app to reduce distractions around your work area.

10. SOCIALIZE WITH COLLEAGUES.

Working from home doesn’t mean total isolation. It may not be as satisfying as having meetings in person or seeing your work friends, but using video chat options and making phone calls gives you much-needed exposure to human contact.

Humans are social by nature, and we don’t need to stop socializing just because we are physically apart. Arrange a FaceTime happy hour, book club meeting, paint night, or a cooking night where everyone is participating in the same activity and talking via their screens. This is a chance to get creative and a fun way to connect.

In addition to isolation, loneliness and disconnect are common problems in remote work life.  Companies with a remote work culture usually offer ways to socialize like having chat channels where remote employees can talk about common interests, meetups for people in the same region, and once the coronavirus ends, in-person retreats.

Since you won't be bumping into your colleagues in the halls or cafeteria or elevator or parking lot when working from home, you won't have the same opportunity for chit-chat and human interaction. Make time every day to text with colleagues, check in personally, share stories, and ask how people are doing. Be proactive about nurturing relationships.

11. ASK FOR WHAT YOU NEED.

If you're employed by a company or organization that supports your work-from-home setup, request the equipment you need to get your job done comfortably and efficiently, including the right monitor, keyboard, chair, printer, software, etc.

Companies that are set up for remote employees often have a budget for home office equipment. Ask what it is and how often it's renewed.

If you're working from home unexpectedly due to the coronavirus, ask for what you need within reason. You could be working from home for weeks on end and you should be comfortable, but ordering a new office chair and desk might be asking too much. Consider a mouse and keyboard, plus a back-supporting cushion instead.

Use the most comfortable chair you can with back support. Also consider investing in a hands-free headset or at the least use your earbuds for long phone calls.

12. DON'T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF.

Working from home requires a great deal of discipline and focus.

Even the most focused employee can let their attention stray sometimes. If you find yourself working one minute and booking flights for your upcoming vacation the next, don't judge yourself too harshly.  Rather ask yourself whether people in an office setting do the same thing. If the answer is yes and we guarantee it is), cut yourself some slack, then get back to work.

Above all, remember, you need to balance productivity and self-care, otherwise, you risk a meltdown, either personal or work-related.

Working from home can be a big transition. You might feel any combination of emotions: lonely, isolated, stressed, frustrated, anxious, unmotivated, or alternately, relieved, relaxed, energized, or productive. It's all perfectly normal. Any transition takes time to get used to, so try to go easy on yourself.

What works for one person may not work for you. Test different scenarios, see what works or doesn’t work, adjust your set up, and continue to adapt until you figure out how to work from home effectively.