TIPS FOR WORKING AT HOME

Freelancing is hot and so very now. I really know lots of people who were fed up with working for a boss and have decided to hit the road alone, which is great. But that means, certainly in the beginning, that you frequently have to work from home and that can be a problem. For years I was cooped up at home working as a freelancer and even though I now sit behind my Amayzine desk five days a week, I still love the odd day at home. But there are some tips&tricks that can improve things, let me tell you.

Get dressed

This is the biggest faux pas, I’ve fell for it a million times. Getting behind your laptop, in your pj’s, without taking a shower. Seems fun, well it is, but it’s not very healthy for you, before you know it a week has passed without you getting dressed or taking a shower. It happened to me. Often. So get up, take a shower, wear something nice and pretend you’re going to an office.

A good workspace

With me it’s my dining room table, but sometimes it drives me mad, because I work and live in the same spot. It’s better to create a separate work space so work and life don’t overlap more than absolutely necessary, however impossible to avoid when working from home. If for space technical reasons this is not a possibility, clear off all your work stuff when you finish to prevent the work-yoyo- effect.

Set a schedule

The danger of working at home is that you’re always working. Set your daily hours and stick to them because before you know it you’ll be behind your laptop until 10 pm and even though that might sometimes be necessary, it’s also important to have a life on the side.

Enjoy the benefits

They’re there. You can visit the dry cleaners, the hairdressers or whatever, during the workweek, you don’t have to do it all in the weekend. And if it’s hot out you could change your hours from to 9-12 and then go out and play in the sun, picking up where you left off in the evening. You see, being your own boss doesn’t seem that bad after all does it?