12 Things To Avoid If You're Working From Home

 If you’re working from home, whether temporarily or permanently, there are things you can do to ensure you’re being as productive as possible. Some people like to work late at night, but allowing your working day to stretch from morning until night isn't good for your work/life balance. Below, you’ll find 12 things to avoid if you’re working from home to help you get to grips with this new way of life! 

1. Working In Your Pyjamas

Working in your pyjamas can feel like a great novelty at first, but it definitely has an impact on your mindset. You probably won’t be able to be as productive in your pyjamas as you would normal clothes. The clothes we wear have a huge impact on how motivated we feel, so remember that in the morning when you’re tempted to keep on your pyjamas or lounge wear. 

2. Falling Out of A Routine 

If you are used to working in an office, it can be difficult to keep up the same routine at home. Your routine doesn’t need to be exactly the same, but those who work from home still need some kind of routine to ensure they are getting things done and keeping their work life balance intact. Without a schedule, your sleeping pattern could end up all over the place, you might not hit deadlines, and you’ll often find that you don’t know where your work ends and your life begins. It might not seem like the point of working from home, but you’ll be doing yourself a great favor if you stay in a routine. 

3. Staying Stuck In The House All Day 

Staying in the house all day is another surefire way to hamper your productivity and get you stuck in a rut. Go and work somewhere else if at all possible, such as a coffee shop or a library. If not, at least make sure you get out for some fresh air. If the weather isn't too bad out, maybe you could sit out there and do some work for a while. 

4. Sitting Down All Day 

Sitting down all day is one of the worst things any of us can do for our health. Do a home work out if you can, even if it’s just for 20 minutes. You should also try to go for a walk, even a short one. Sitting down all day is bad for your health in the long term, as you’ll likely develop issues with your posture, struggle to maintain your weight if you are getting less exercise, and experience many other issues. In the short term, sitting down all day can have a negative impact on productivity, which is why many people now have stand-up desks! 

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5. Giving Yourself Too Many Goals For The Day

Overwhelming yourself with too many goals, especially non essential goals, does nothing but stresses you out. Try to pick a maximum of 3 goals. Once you have those ticked off your list, anything you get done on top of that is a bonus. At least this way, you’ll end the day feeling more accomplished than you would have if you had given yourself 8 goals and only achieved 4. Putting too much pressure on yourself is a recipe for disaster! 

6. Failure To Set Boundaries With Family or Housemates 

You absolutely must set boundaries with your family or housemates when you begin working from home. Make sure they know when you are working and only to disturb you if it is a real emergency. You need to make sure you enforce these boundaries if anybody attempts to cross them, or they will push their luck more often and you’ll struggle to get things done. 

7. Going Too Long Without Human Contact

Working from home can mean that we don’t come into contact with other people enough - and even if you think you’re an introvert, it’s going to make you feel lonely. Try to make sure you plan catch ups with friends and family, even if it’s over Zoom or Facetime. Make time if you don’t think you have time. You don’t want to lose touch with the people who matter to you! 

8. Working Without Breaks

You need breaks. It might feel weird giving yourself your own break times at first, but you need regular breaks to avoid getting burned out and ensure you are eating properly. Set out your break times and stick to them - refuse to feel guilty for them! You’ve earned them. It’s also a good idea to set your own start and finishing times so that you don’t end up working all day and night. 

9. Forgetting To Look For Helpful Services and Platforms 

There are many services and platforms out there that could be useful to you. These platforms could help to make your life so much easier, but you won’t know until you look for them and try them out. You could try this Desktop-as-a-service for example. It all depends on what you do each day and what would make your working day easier. Don’t suffer! 

10. Working On Your Bed

Working on your bed is a bad idea, unless you’re sick and you really need to get some work done (although you should still rest if you can). Working somewhere too comfortable definitely isn't going to help you to get into the right frame of mind for work. Have a good desk and chair if you can. If not, at least sit at the table! 

11. Overloading Your Mind

Using social media early on in the day or allowing yourself to get distracted with articles and emails will overload your mind and make it tough for you to work. Do some deep work first thing so you can actually get it done. You can then relax a little more later on.  

12. Neglecting Your Mental Health

Your mental health is crucial when working from home. Plan to exercise and eat right. You should also be making sure you’re getting plenty of sleep, and talking about any problems you’re having. Journaling and meditation can help, but don’t be afraid to reach out!