30 tips on how to work effectively and not go crazy working at home

Those who are familiar with the pleasures of working at home (for themselves, a freelancer or remotely at a rate) are also familiar with the temptation to lie on the couch and delay time.

I also like to take a nap for an hour or two, but this should be a break, not a permanent work schedule.

On the other hand, work at home leads to a blurring of the boundaries between work and personal life - if you work too much, you will not have time and energy for life as such.
')
So how to work effectively and at the same time not to bring yourself to nervous exhaustion? I recently quit my permanent job and therefore asked my readers for advice on my blog. They, as always, responded to my request, and I selected the recommendations I liked the most so that people could use them as a guide (well, I am also going to be guided by these tips).

A few comments before going to the list of tips: once again, these are tips from readers, so all thanks are due to them. Since recommendations from different people are collected, they may seem contradictory, so it’s best to select those that are likely to work for you, and try to use them. If the idea does not work - go back to the list and select something else. Do not try to follow all the tips, and certainly not all at once and at the same time.

Thank you, readers!

1. Decide on a place: separate work from home. Work in a specific room. Do not try to work where necessary. Allocate a certain space, better the whole room (it can be small), for the workplace. Then, entering this space, you will consciously tune in to work. The brain will switch from "I am at home" to "I am at work".
   
   Set your work day routine and stick to it.
   
   Do not start working right away just by jumping out of bed. Have breakfast, take a shower, get dressed. Make a to-do list and get started.
   
   Close the door . It is very easy to leave open the door to the room where you work. Do not do this. If the door is open, it means something to you and your family. For you, this means that if you find it difficult or unwilling to work today, then you may not work. For your family, the open door shows that daddy is home, you can go and chat with him.
   
   Observe order in the workplace. The order on the table helps to maintain order in the head, which contributes to more efficient operation.
   
   Turn off the phone when you need to work without being distracted. Also turn off systems like ICQ and new mail notifications. Generally, if possible, disconnect from the Internet.
   
   Do not stop work, even if it turned out to be a difficult day. There are days when no ideas come to mind or performance just goes down. Accustom yourself to work on such days after all. From "I will do it a little later," it is easy to move on to "complicated, enough for today." As a result, the work will never be done.
   
   Make three lists of three cases each. The first list is a mandatory case for today. The second is three things that are desirable to do, but not necessary. In the third list - the cases that need to be done "someday." Thus, at the end of the day, you will not sit back and think about what else to do.
   
   How should prepare for the working day. Have a good breakfast, just sit alone. Relax. Pray. Just make sure the brain is not in "I hate to work."
   
   Buy a good chair. Durable and comfortable, possibly leather. It is worth the money spent.
   
   Keep a notebook and pencil at hand. Jot down notes for blog posts, projects, etc. Purchase a note board and pin sheets of notes on it. View a couple of times a week to refresh things you should ever do. Sometimes the best results come from sudden inspiration.
   
   Take breaks. Do not lock in the room for the whole day. For each hour of work, do a 15-30 minute break. Give your brain time to put it in order and get back to work. The quality will increase a hundred times.
   
   Do not return to work when you have already finished your work day. A sudden idea for an article? Great, sketch a plan and set it aside for tomorrow.
   
   If possible, plan your workday according to your natural schedule. Some people work most productively in the morning, others in the evening, and some even at night.
   
   Always keep drinking water in the workplace. Get into the habit of drinking a couple liters of water a day.
   
   Carefully choose the music you listen to while you work. Music, TV, weather ... Almost everything affects mood. Something can not be changed, something can be. Be sure to create the most comfortable work environment for you.
   
   Do not turn on the computer to quickly check your mail or do one small thing, as long as you are not “prepared for work,” as mentioned above. This one little thing will pull behind itself another one, etc., and in the end you will forget to eat, everything will end in a headache, etc.
   
   Be able to stop. Stay up late. Determine the hours of work, and upon their completion stop. There is no need to adhere to the schedule minute by minute, but make sure that the work does not replace your life.
   
   Do not work 8 hours a day. One of the readers of the blog works about five hours, four blocks an hour with 20-minute breaks. If you work harder, attention may begin to dissipate, anxiety and anxiety will appear, and the quality of work will be below normal.
   
   Set aside specific days for a particular job. For example, organize your documents on Friday evening, or at the latest on Saturday morning. So you can get away for the weekend without a feeling of unfinished work.
   
   Outline the boundaries for their loved ones. Plan your work time and explain to your children and your spouse that at this time you cannot play with children, do housework, etc.
   
   Ear plugs It helps a lot if there are small children in the family.
   
   Calculate your income regularly. You will be less disposed to hang around the TV if you know how much your lounging is worth. Remember, "work is NOT done - no money."
   
   Have a good lunch. One of the blog readers recommends high carbohydrate foods for a good mood in the afternoon.
   
   Keep track of your time. One reader recommends a simple gtimelog program (http://mg.pov.lt/gtimelog/). You indicate in the program what has been done when you have completed the work. Very simple and does not interfere with work. At the end of the day, you can watch the report. The program also allows you to simply divide the work time and rest time.
   
   Set the time when you are online. No need to always be available. This item is more relevant to remote workers than self-employed.
   
   Do not let the work absorb your life. Easier said than done when working at home. Be sure to set the time frame.
   
   Pay attention to people. Help when asked. Answer whenever possible to each letter. It is not necessary to respond quickly, on the same day, but you must answer. It is important.
   
   Do not be stingy with thanks. Determine who helps your blog (or your business) the most. If you are a blogger, these are readers, not leading leading blogs that mention you. People who have given their time and energy to help you achieve what you have achieved. Now you are indebted for life. Let them know that you are grateful.
   
   Rejoice that you work at home, and not in an office booth! This thought will motivate you to work better in order to be able to continue working at home.