10 Tips for Working From Home

workfromhome

Ok so I’m not really a profesh. In fact I’ve only been working from home for a couple of months now. But I WISH that when I had started, someone had given me these tips so I hope that this helps someone else.

1. Create a schedule. I start working by 9am or earlier every morning and stop working by 7pm every night. Sometimes I start and end earlier but this is the general gist of it. I also force myself to take a lunch break, otherwise I find that I can work straight through the day without leaving my computer and then I want to pull my hair out.

2. Get dressed every day. My first day of working at home I sat at my desk in yoga pants and a sweatshirt and kept smiling at how nice it was to not have to dress up for anyone. Then the second day came around and I started to feel gross and grimy and lazy. When I get dressed and put on a touch of make up, I feel more professional and actually accomplish more.

3. Change it up. If I sit at my home office all day every day, I feel like the walls are starting to cave in. Maybe this is a problem for New Yorkers in small apartments only but sometimes I’ll go to the coffee shop down the street, sometimes I’ll hit up the public library, and sometimes I do sit at my home desk. It’s nice to have a change of pace once in a while.

4. Keep to-do lists. Every night I make a list of what I have to accomplish the next day. That way when I’m sitting at my computer wondering what the hell I’m supposed to be working on, I look back to the list. I also keep a big picture list of things I want to do and if my to-do list dwindles, I pull from that. If you don’t complete something on the list, move it to the next day and add a star so you know it’s been moved. Once something gets up to 5 or 6 stars, I know I just have to hunker down and get ‘er done!

5. Go to every event, meeting, lunch, or meet up that you possibly can. My friend and business mentor, Adina, founder of SW Basics of Brooklyn told me this one. She taught me to be everywhere and meet with as many people as possible. You never know who could be the one person that will take you to the next level. I find now that I have an event or meeting at least twice/day.

6. Spend time with other people who work from home. I am becoming an entrepreneur so I spend time with other entrepreneurs whether that means lunch breaks, tea breaks, brainstorm sessions, or talking out our issues, it is so helpful to do this. Otherwise I feel like my problems are all me. Now I know that everyone faces the same challenges!

7. Plan your meals ahead of time. If I’m sitting at home working and all of a sudden it’s 1:30 and I’m starving, I tend to go out and buy something (expensive) or gravitate towards something quick and dirty (unhealthy). Planning my meals for the week or even the night before solves that problem. I generally make a big batch of quinoa on a Sunday night and then eat it in different ways all week. Sometimes with cooked kale, sometimes in a spinach salad, etc.

8. Schedule exercise into your day. I always thought working from home would be amazing because I could work out like ALL THE TIME! Well I get so busy and involved in my own stuff that I find myself forgetting. Now I have it scheduled into my day and on my to-do list (see #4) so it actually happens.

9. Know that bad days are ok. Sometimes I want to pull my hair out and scream and cry and have no idea what I’m doing. That’s ok. You are not the only one going through it. There are good days and there are bad days. On the bad ones, complete one thing that will make you feel good whether it’s an email to a friend/business partner, setting up your social media for the next day, or organizing your workspace. Feeling like you accomplished something on a bad day helps me a lot.

10. Feel amazing because you don’t have to deal with bitchy coworkers, office politics, someone stealing your lunch from the fridge, or a bossy boss!

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Comments

  1. Allyssa said:

    Great tips! People think working from home is easy, but it’s not!

    4.10.13 · Reply
    • Julia Dzafic said:

      It seems like it would be all fun and games, but it’s definitely not the case ๐Ÿ™‚

      4.10.13 · Reply
  2. Kelly said:

    Hi Julia!

    Can I tell you how much I love your blog? It’s seriously my favorite. ๐Ÿ™‚ I love how your incorporate color into life whenever possible, and I love your positive outlook. Your posts are so refreshing! Also thrilled to find someone who loves city life as much as I do. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Loved this post. I tried working from home when I was editing for a magazine, and it was an absolute disaster. I feel like if I had followed these tips more often, I would have enjoyed it and been successful! Great advice ๐Ÿ™‚

    Do you mind asking what you do when you’re not blogging? I’m so jealous that you’re starting off on your own! Best of luck, and keep doing what you’re doing!

    xoxo

    Kelly

    http://www.kellyinthecity.com

    4.10.13 · Reply
    • Julia Dzafic said:

      Wow thank you so much, Kelly! I love your blog too ๐Ÿ™‚ When I’m not blogging, I’m currently working on setting up my online store where I’ll be selling women’s apparel and accessories. I just quit my job in March so this is all new to me!

      Thank you again for following!

      4.10.13 · Reply
      • Kelly said:

        That’s awesome!! Really excited to see its launch. So happy for you!

        4.10.13 · Reply
  3. Kit Graham said:

    I wish I could work from home! Someone stole my avocado (to go with my chili) from the fridge at work the other day and I was so annoyed. I take packing my lunches pretty seriously, so when part of my lunch (or all my lunch) goes missing it is the worst!
    http://www.thekittchen.com

    4.10.13 · Reply
    • Hallie Wilson said:

      Haha omg, the SAME thing happened to me! That would def be a perk of working from home… ๐Ÿ™‚ Stupid avo bandits.

      4.10.13 · Reply
      • Julia Dzafic said:

        Hahah

        4.10.13 · Reply
    • Julia Dzafic said:

      Wow, how rude! I totally know that feeling from my days at the office ๐Ÿ™‚

      4.10.13 · Reply
  4. RachelShingleton said:

    I absolutely love this. Especially #9 because bad days DO happen, and it can feel really frustrating, especially when you’re alone and have no one to commiserate with. ๐Ÿ™‚

    4.10.13 · Reply
  5. Caroline St. Francis said:

    While I’m still in high school these tips also apply to studying for finals and working on projects. Often being at home can be distracting and unproductive. Great tips!

    ~ Caroline
    http://peachykeencaroline.blogspot.com/

    4.10.13 · Reply
  6. adina said:

    So proud of you!! It’s really you who is the mentor.

    4.12.13 · Reply
  7. King Conneely said:

    Hi

    Great tips! I love to work from home, as you say it feels amazing ๐Ÿ™‚
    So if anyone want’s to work from home, why not get paid to mess around on Facebook and Twitter. You don’t need any prior skills or experience and you can begin work immediately!
    Have a nice day.

    Check the link:
    http://a0685jwdx8gq4n9pyau60lo4lb.hop.clickbank.net/

    4.18.13 · Reply
  8. Jenny said:

    Great article! Last January I left my employer (& family/friends!) and moved to Argentina with my husband. I have been unemployed for the past year & a half! Long story short- the same company I worked for previously is hiring me full-time so I can be a “remote” employee. I will be working from home, 40+ hours.
    I am a little nervous/anxious to maintain a daily routine (structure) ! In addition, the work can be complex/intense so key is GOOD communication. Any further advice you can provide based on your experience per these two points I would appreciate! Thanks Julia ๐Ÿ™‚

    4.22.13 · Reply
  9. Javad said:

    Thanks for sharing your experience. It will be very useful for me since I am going to start to work from home.

    4.23.13 · Reply
  10. longandluxe said:

    A very welcome post, indeed . . . thanks for the great advice, Julia!! ๐Ÿ™‚

    6.18.13 · Reply
  11. Kay said:

    This is exactly what I needed to read! I just quit my job in March, like you, to work at home. I am having a heck of a time actually getting work done! Thanks for the great tips!

    6.20.13 · Reply
  12. Corey said:

    Found this on Pinterest – thanks for posting!

    Corey from Staple Trend – Telecommute And Freelance Directory Resource. http://www.stapletrend.com/jobs

    3.23.14 · Reply