There’s a lot of information online about the software you can use to work from home like video conferencing tools and chatbots, calendar and scheduling tools, workspaces and document collaboration. However, what is often missed is the non-technical element that’s probably more important than having the right tools: self-discipline. This is the ability to motivate yourself, to stay on track and avoid distractions, to see tasks through to completion, and to get the job done. Self-discipline is challenging, especially if you’ve got young noisy children in the house, or you’re feeling anxious about what’s happening in the world and having trouble concentrating, or you’re just not used to doing work in the home environment.
Here are my tips on how to overcome these challenges.
- Maintain a regular routine
If you normally start work at 8:30am and finish at 5pm then keep up the routine. Don’t slip into sleeping-in and starting work at 10am or 11am. - Have a break for lunch
If you normally have lunch at around 12 or 1pm when you’re at work then continue doing that. Make sure you have lunch and take regular breaks to keep as much separation as possible between work time and leisure time. - Continue with all your meetings
If you normally meet with a colleague once a week on a Monday then continue having the meeting online. This is an essential part of working from home in my opinion because it’s this sort of communication that’s motivating, solves problems, provides social contact, and ensures everyone is going in the same direction. - Set up a comfortable space to work
Not everyone has access to a room in their home they can use as an office but it’s still important to create a “work space” so that when you leave that space you feel like you’re having a break or have finished for the day. It may just be half of the dining room table or a desk in the lounge room but whatever it is, make sure the area is clear of all non-work stuff and that you have a comfortable chair. Even better than a comfy chair is a place you can stand and work – an option here could be a shelf on a tall bookcase. Whatever it is, make it your workspace. - If you have trouble focussing on tasks then it can help to set up a to-do list for yourself each day. In the morning, write up what you plan to do and then tick off items as you complete them.
If you set up good habits when you first start working from home then you’ll be more productive and feel a greater sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
rachel.blog 
Definitely good advice. I am teaching from home. With the exception of some kind of white board, it is going okay.
Zoom has a whiteboard feature you can use that works pretty well – https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/205677665-Sharing-a-whiteboard
You can draw and type.
Yes. I have heard that. Sadly my company doesn’t want to use Zoom (though all other schools in Toronto are using Zoom) We are using Microsoft teams. Thank you.
I really look forward to your posts, and seeing how you and the family are getting on with this lockdown. It helps keep upbeat seeing how it’s possible to deal with things in a positive way.
Thank you! I seem to have so much to say all the time so I don’t think the posts will be stopping anytime soon 🙂
Stay on track and avoid distractions- this is such an important reminder for everyone working from home. Thanks for this important thought.
In reality, while it may seem relaxing to stay at home and work- sometimes it becomes too relaxing that we forget our tasks, making it harder for us to finish anything on time.
Platforms like `therisr.com for freelancers certainly require the focus that work-at-home agents put on their tasks. With your suggestions in mind, freelancers would surely become as productive as they are expected to be.
Thanks again and please keep safe always.
Wow! Well written and so wonderful post! Thanks for sharing