My office and outlook (I wish!)
Eighteen months ago, I left the 9-5 ( more like 8 – 8 ) and I’ve been working from home.
Working at home can have its ups and downs, so the best thing to do is to develop good habits, ways and an attitude in which to live a better, quality of life.
Go through these tips that I have been collating over the past few months and hopefully some will help you improve your quality in your life, while working from home.
1. Turn on the answering machine to avoid always getting up to answer the phone
2. Put your cell phone on silent mode to avoid being interrupted
3. You can also choose to turn off email alerts
4. Put a sign on your door, “Don’t Disturb”, so you are not disturbed
5. Don’t ever skip meals
6. Learn how to prepare easy-to cook but nutritious meals
7. Don’t forget your liquids, drink 8-10 glasses a day
8. Outsource if business tasks are overwhelming
9. Do breathing exercises when stressed out
10. Exercise regularly
11. Don’t sit for hours on end – stretch every few hours
12. Always maintain good sitting position when at the PC
13. Clean your work station or work area
14. Organize your work area
15. Try to multi-task to get more work done
16. Eat fruits, they cleanse the body
17. Share household chores with family members
18. Hire household help if finances would allow it
19. Spend quality time with your family
20. Find time to tuck your children in bed
21. Read your children bedtime stories
22. Set short-term goals because they can be achieved more easily and give you a confidence boost
23. Know your priorities
24. Reward yourself once in a while by taking a day off
25. List things you want done for the day in order of priority and make sure they’re done
26. Smile rather than frown
27. Have a journal or a diary
28. Set an alarm to avoid forgetting schedules or appointments
29. Set breaks for the day and be sure to take them
30. Get out of the house at least once a day
31. Have a daily schedule and follow it
32. Go for a walk (and take your dog if you have one!)
33. Ride your bike
34. Get in touch with your family often
35. Don’t forget your friends
36. Focus your mind on things that last like relationships, family and friends
37. Don’t go on pleasing everyone, you can’t please everybody
38. Laugh
39. Recognize your dream and follow it
40. Be optimistic
41. Compliment three people everyday
42. Be honest
43. Live for the present, the past is already past and let the future worry for itself
44. Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today
45. Live everyday like it’s your last
46. Put your best in everything you do
47. Never tire of doing good
48. Do everything without complaining or arguing
49. Stop worrying
50. Life is a journey, enjoy it
51. Every moment is a teachable moment
52. You can learn something from someone no matter how high or lowly that person is
53. Practice meditation
54. Be watchful of opportunities and grab them
55. Understand others
56. Develop healthy lifestyle habits
57. Just live a simple life
58. Get enough sleep
59. Limit caffeine intake, caffeine keeps you from experiencing restful sleep
60. Always think that you can do anything and that nothing is hard
61. Don’t always say yes and learn to say no
62. Read a good book
63. Assert yourself and your ideas if need be
64. Don’t just wait for things to happen but make things happen
65. Don’t give up easily
66. Try and try until you succeed
67. Develop moral values
68. Put love first in your heart
69. Learn from your failures and don’t do it again
70. If you can stretch out a helping hand, do so
71. Don’t think that you’re better than others
72. Listen to music
73. Don’t watch too much television
74. Treat yourself to a bubble bath
75. Get a massage
76. Maintain a garden
77. Eat a balanced and healthy diet
78. It is always better to give than to receive
79. You give back, you don’t give up
80. Learn to forgive and not be bitter
81. Encourage discipline in yourself and also in others
82. Do not turn on the computer if it’s not yet your time to work
83. Eat meals with your family
84. Do your housework first, then your job
85. Always have a plan
86. Take the time to listen
87. Be dedicated
88. Learn how to apologize
89. Set a quiet time everyday for you to just sit in silence
90. Do not let making a living prevent you from making a life
91. Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up
92. Be always willing to learn
93. Always have patience
94. Spend time with different ages of people
95. Create a morning phrase like, “I want to make the most of today”
96. It would be nice to be able to travel to places once in a while
97. Do not be afraid to take risk
98. Trust your own instinct
99. Try new things
100. Get out of your comfort zone
101. Keep your promises
102. If you don’t have something good to say about a person then don’t talk
103. Accept criticism and learn from it
104. Never run out of passion
105. Always be ready for a surprise because life is full of surprises
106. Control your temper, control yourself
107. Learn to save for rainy days
108. Be environment friendly. Think green!
109. Money is not everything in life
110. Focus on happy moments in your life
111. Surround yourself with good friends
112. Set-up your very own working space at home to be able to concentrate better
113. Have a good, comfortable work chair
114. Let your family understand and respect your work area and your work schedule
115. If you have young kids, then sound canceling headphones might be a great idea
116. Strictly follow your work schedule
117. Always be cheerful
118. Create an environment in your workspace that is conducive for work
119. If you have school-age children, schedule your work when they are away
120. Always have a motivation
121. Get involved in extra-curricular activities
122. Join a group of people that have the same interests as you do
123. Think of realistic goals
124. Always know what your most important task is
125. Make adjustments in your work schedule when necessary
126. Manage time instead of letting time manage you
127. Arrangements of furniture in your work area should be in order
128. Everything that you need should be accessible
129. Do everything one step at a time and not all at once
130. Have time to pamper yourself
131. Use a laptop when necessary
132. Place plants in you work room or work area
133. Use caller ID to know which calls to avoid and which calls to take
134. Focus on work while on the internet and avoid logging in to other sites like Facebook or twitter
135. Review what you’ve accomplished for the day and adjust accordingly
136. Always keep a notepad and pen handy to be able to list ideas that come into your head
137. Be grateful that you’re working at home and not inside a cramped cubicle
138. Do the hardest work first
139. Not all your work needs to be perfect
140. Use technology for your advantage
141. If you have children, make sure to keep them occupied with educational toys for example
142. If both husband and wife work at home, then take turns. One can work and the other can watch over the children
143. Take care of your eyes, rest them if needed
144. Remove unnecessary things on your work desk
145. Make sure that your workplace looks attractive
146. Place a whiteboard on your work area
147. Have a calendar in your work area
148. Get yourself a mentor
149. Don’t give up easily
150. Learn to always move forward
151. Don’t think of doing work, think of it as doing what you really like
152. Train your kids to fix their things or their mess
153. Delegate household chores to other family members
154. Start early as they say, the early bird gets the early worm
155. Be ready for black-outs, have an extra battery pack or purchase a generator
156. Always maintain good posture
157. Always make sure that there are healthy snacks available
158. Know when to stop
159. Organize your files
160. Be confident with yourself
161. Surround yourself with your achievements like a trophy, plaque of appreciation and medals
162. Be knowledgeable of relaxation techniques that you can use when stressed
163. Get a stress ball
164. Get an ergonomic keyboard
165. Do what you want and don’t do what you don’t want to do
166. Overcome frustration with a positive outlook in life
167. Overcome boredom by not forgetting your social life
168. Empower yourself
169. Familiarize yourself with your definition of success
170. Manage your finances well
171. Don’t be shy to ask for help
172. Go out of your way to say thanks
173. Finally, at the end of the day, don’t forget to say a little prayer
Over to you…what little tips would you add?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks.
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Massive list Andrew! The biggest one for me is remembering to eat and drink. I get so caught up in working the my diet is significantly lacking on the days I am at home.
Thomas,
Perhaps number 157 may help. Have them near where you work.
And set a timer – remind yourself it is time to eat / drink!
Andrew
I have been working from home for 6 years. It’s always funny when people think it’s easy.
My boss actually gets more work out of me at home than if I went to an office. Working at home makes it easy to lose track of time and your work is always here even on weekends and holidays.
Sany
I think you are in the minority!
Unless it is there own business most employees would not work that hard from home…would they?
Andrew
Same thing happen to me Thomas. As long as I am going more involve in my sitting work, my diet is going less. I am not able eat much that I use to take before.
Good to start a day with your list Andrew, it will remind us all with what we have to do while working!
Good list! I really can not add anything extra than it already has or then it will get more longer 🙂
Thanks, Hesham.
Remembering them all is the difficult bit!
Andrew
Corinne,
Some friends, who work 9-5, were on holiday last week.
They ‘popped in’ for a cup of tea and a chat. They thought I was rude becasue I had the tea and went back to work.
They think exactly that: “if you work at home you are not working and cannot understand you can’t just drop everything for a two hour lunch.”
Trouble spots?
I love what I do and helping people so ‘swicthing off’ is hard for me.
Andrew
Nice post.
The most important thing is managing timer easonably.
Don’t know if that is the MOST important but it is important!
Andrew
that’s very lengthy list and i think its very difficult to follow them all isn’t it.
Jitin
Many are very similar and over a period of time, they can become habits.
Andrew
#171 resonated with me today…”Ask for help.” A while ago I made a commitment to start asking for help more, not just in my freelance work but also in personal relationships, everyday tasks, obstacles of any kind. It’s really transformed my whole outlook. Now when I run into a wall the first thing I do is think, “Who can I ask for help? Where can I learn the skills I need?” I’m more efficient and productive, and I love the feeling of connecting with other people. I’ve always been happy to offer help, but for some reason asking for help takes a little more courage! Thanks for this timely reminder, Andrew!
Antonia
I think asking for help is a real strength. Too many feel they have to know ALL the answers themeselves.
Andrew
All make sense Andrew, Life is a journey so we must enjoy every moment and having fun 😉
Latief,
very true!
Andrew
Its a long list but everything are so true. Working from home can deprive you from your social life so make sure that you go out and hangout with people from time to time. I got a problem with #153 though. I live alone so there’s no one but myself to do the household chores.lol
Jovit,
Perhaps you should hire someone to do the household chores!
Andrew
Some great tips, the one I need to pay attention to is the one about skipping meals. I get so engrossed that I normally miss breakfast and lunch and don’t eat until the evening.
Dean
I can understand that. As I said to Thomas – perhaps have some healthy snacks nearby or set a timer to tell you to eat!
Andrew
I learned a long time ago, that if I don’t treat my business like a business, it won’t treat itself like one.. as in NO income..
I get up.. do whatever I like for the first hour or two of the day, and then get busy. Turn off the phone, don’t check email, etc.
One thing that has helped me tremendously, is to make a list at the end of each day of what I want to accomplish the following day. If I wait until the beginning of the day to make a list, I tend to goof around and squander the day. But if I have a list ready when I get to my desk in the morning, then I just start checking off as I complete tasks..
Hey! Congrats on leaving your 8 to 8 job. 🙂
Dee,
Doing your work list for the next day is a great idea. I know it works for me.
Leaving the 8 to 8 job was a hard decision but certainly no regrets.
Andrew
Great collection on tips, going to work in an office can be stressful and costly for both employee and employer. Thanks to technology many of us have the option of working from home.
Luqman,
Working from home can also be pretty stressful – no guarantee of income, doing everything yourself…
Andrew
Very nice list
I am so used to 10 or 25 topic lists 173 just about blew me away. Very thorough though nothing hit me that you missed. You certainly two of the “secrets” that help me to stay focused exercise and outsourcing mundane tasks
and a few like having a whiteboard that I never implemented..though I can already see why it would be useful,
Thanks
Steve
The whiteboard has been an excellent investment for me.
I use it everyday.
I’m glad you liked the post.
Andrew
1a. Turn down the answering machine. If you hear every message being left, they will all sound important. 😉
Good one, Dennis!
Andrew
I think the most important item on the list is exercise. It is very easy to get caught up on the computer and neglect exercising.
Colleen,
I’ve been exercising a lot recently – see my latest post:
https://www.webuildyourblog.com/3052/stress-blogging/
Andrew
This is awesome. Over the next few weeks I will be expounding on your 173 tips on my blog. The first one will post in the morning for me. Thanks for sharing these wonderful tips.
Gerliane,
I can see you have posted your first list – I’m glad my post has help (in a little way).
Andrew
Yes, I will be posting many lists as a result of your post. Thanks for the wonderful inspiration!
Hey Andrew!
Wow! Lots to chew on with this list. Number 23 and 25 are key for me. Knowing my priorities, listing them everyday and actually doing them in that order has been a thorn for me. I have a tendency to let other things distract me which, at the end of the day looking back, I really did not accomplish much. Your list made me think much about what my intentions and desires for incomeoptions.org was originally. Thanks for the fabulous post!
Karen,
I’m glad the psot helped.
I agree priorities are a must (for me anyway). I write my list down on my best investment ever – my white board!
Andrew
Exercise, that’s one of the most important task that’s missing with my daily routine. With all the work that’s piled up, I don’t think I have time for that, but I would really like to find time to have that done.
With all the things you have listed here, I do think that you can compile all of the given idea and sell it as your own book Andrew 🙂
Jason,
You may want to rad my latest post:
https://www.webuildyourblog.com/3052/stress-blogging/
Thanks for the idea, re: book.
I might just do that!
Andrew
Very good and direct to the point. I love it. I very much like number 122 (I like them all actually). This is the main reason why I started to blog. The good thing about blogging is that we meet a lot of different people with the same interest. It’s not only a venue for personal growth, but as a much better way to earn an income on your own pace.
As a newbie, I still have lots to learn. It’s a big-o-wide world out there. What do you know, I’m keeping this list as my own personal bible, thanks to you.
Thanks Jun.
Build a community with people with the same interests is a must.
Have you joined any communities?
Andrew
Hello Andrew. Unfortunately none, as of this time, but why do I get the feeling that you are about to tell me?
JUn,
In fact you have joined one…comluv.
And have you seem Murray Newlands recent post regarding his?
Here’s the link:
http://www.murraynewlands.com/2010/08/sbc/
Andrew
Ha-ha. Those are great!
I still can’t deal with number 5 sometimes. Number 7 – I got it cover. My bottle is here :). The confidence boost in number 22 is very important to keep you going.
I do not agree with all (for example if I live every day as last I would not be able to set goals and to invest), but most are great. Very nice post!
Matt,
Perhaps a few healthy snacks next to your bottle would work?
Andrew
Wow, great list. I just a little to long to try and implement it all at once so ill try and do a couple at a time. thanks
Lavera
That is a good approach. Implement a couple – make them good habits and move on to 2 more.
Andrew
Very great list! I love taking some breack when i work at home because working 24/24 hours in front of the computer is very tiring! I try to take one breack every two/three hours. Having a bottle near me is also very useful so we don’t need to go to the kitchen everytime.
Sushie,
I know I say have snacks / drinks nearby – for those who forget to take breaks.
There is another argument…having to go to the kitchen makes you get away from the pc!
Andrew
These are wonderful tips. It’s so important to take a time out to de-stress, exercise, breath and eat healthy. If you overstep your health, you get sick. And when you get sick, you have nothing. (It’s hard to get anything accomplished when you feel horrible. And then it was all for nothing).
Becca
Totally agree. It’s a shame more people don;t take notice and follow your advice.
Andrew
Pretty impressive list. Lots of good ideas there.I have been working from home for the last 13 years and I find that it can be very difficult to keep regular work hours — there is always more to do.