Fundamental Tips for Successfully Working from Home

  • Apr 10, 2020

Let’s face it.  Working from home can be challenging in the best of circumstances.  With the coronavirus pandemic in full swing, for many of us … it’s no longer a choice – many of us need to work from home.  Sure, you’ve probably worked from home on occasion, a day here or there, but this is different.  So why not set yourself up for success from the get-go?


Here are 6 tips that will help you work smart, be productive and keep your sanity:

  1. Get Dressed for Work.  While it may sound silly, the simple act of getting dressed will change your whole outlook for the day and make you more productive.  It may sound tempting to stay in your pajamas all day, but what you will notice is that you are less likely to feel good about yourself and your work and that means you won’t get much done.  Getting up, taking a shower and getting dressed signals your brain that the day has started and it’s time to get to work.
  2. Design a Separate Office Space.  When working from home, it’s important to clearly define where you will work and where you will live.  The idea is that you need to be able to “leave” your work behind at the end of the day so that you can decompress and relax – just as you would when you physically went into the office each day.  You don’t need to have a separate room, but you need to have a space set aside specifically for where you will do your work.  Make it comfortable and inviting, somewhere you will be able to spend 8 hours a day working uninterrupted by family, house chores or forms of entertainment.
  3. Designate Work Hours – And Keep Them.  Just as you’ve designated a specific place to do your work, you need to determine what hours you will be working.  The hardest part of working at home is keeping those hours – there’s always that last email to check or a phone call comes in after-hours that you feel obligated to answer.  Studies have shown that when you limit the amount of time spent working, you heighten your focus and productivity.  So set yourself and your work up for success.  
  4. Minimize Distractions.  Working from home comes with a lot of distractions.  Whether it’s doing something with your kids, the laundry, errands or just surfing the internet, there are a lot of activities that can pull you off track.  It’s OK to take breaks throughout the day – just don’t let them turn into long periods of time that break your focus and make you wonder where your day went.
  5. Communicate with Your Colleagues.   If you are working remotely because of the coronavirus, make sure that you have a plan to stay in touch with your manager, your direct-reports and other colleagues.  Establish daily or weekly check-ins, methods of communication (text, email, phone, video), etc.  This is key to ensuring that everyone knows what’s going on and work progresses smoothly.  For many, colleagues and peers provide creative outlets, positive energy and a sense of a united team and are important in keeping a forward-moving attitude towards work. 
  6. Socialize.  Working from home can be lonely.  You may feel isolated from the outside world, especially if the transition has been abrupt.  Just as you want to communicate with others about project updates, take the time to check-in and see how they are doing.  Get creative about how you keep in touch.  If you go out to lunch with colleagues on a regular basis, have a bring-your-own-lunch day on Zoom conferencing.  If you send texts to each other throughout the day or get on the phone for updates, keep it up.  We are all in this together.


Working from home is a brave new world for many of us, and these 6 strategies will set you up for success.  I want to help you accomplish your goals while working from home.  Give me a call at 949.888.7837 or email me at sales@wearableimaging.com to set up your complimentary strategy session.  Let me share with you some ideas on how to stay productive and connected while working from home.

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  • Category: Business Advice
  • Tags: work from home, home office, business routine, be productive while working from home
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