Since the invention of the Internet, the working world has changed profoundly and today millions of people around the world find themselves working from home.
This privilege was unthinkable even 30 years ago. It has many positive sides.
- You manage your own schedule
- You do not have to leave the house in the rain or the blazing sun
- You stay in a comfortable place
- You don’t have to see people you don’t care about (I’m talking especially to my introverted readers)
One could fill pages with all the benefits. But working from home also comes with downsides, just like normal jobs.
You manage and control your own work schedule, but that means you have to learn to manage it well and not everyone is capable of that.
Besides, we, as much as we don’t like to remember it, are animals, and as such we need to get out of our nice caves and be in the open air.
Every good point brings with it some problems, but that does not mean they cannot be solved. With a few tricks and a routine, you can work from home in peace and stay healthy, both in mind and body. Here are the best tips and tricks you need for working with the Internet.
Morning routine
Prepare a morning routine to do every day.
Everyone should have a morning routine, regardless of their job, but it is especially useful for those who stay at home.
You may wonder what benefits a morning routine has? I assure you that there are several, and here I will list some of them.
- Reduces stress
- Improves sleep quality
- Makes you more productive
- Helps you wake up earlier
- Makes you more focused and motivated
- Keeps you healthy
There is a reason why the most successful people in the world always have a morning routine. As soon as we wake up in the morning we are unable to make the right decisions for us, we are always drowsy and we just want to go back to bed.
Morning routines take away the hassle of having to choose, every day, what to do. And in this way they save us time and energy.
The magical Web offers so many places to learn how to create the perfect routine for you. Try taking a look at “The 5 best morning routine ideas of highly-productive people“.
Don’t miss this crucial part of your day.
Exercise
Find some kind of exercise to do. I will never tire of emphasising how important exercise is in a sedentary life.
You cannot work, you cannot achieve any of your goals if your health fails you. Or rather, if you neglect it.
Many people make this mistake every day and think that they have no consequences just because they are late.
You don’t have to participate in the Olympics to keep fit, but you can even train from home through:
- stretching
- yoga
- pilates
- weights
If, on the other hand, you are among those who wake up full of energy, you can work out outside the house. You can either go to the gym or go for a run around the block, so you will also have accomplished the next point I will mention.
Get out of the house
The main flaw of people who work from home is that they like to stay at home. It is their favourite place and leaving it does not seem like a pleasant prospect.
The Internet is purely recent and we have not evolved to spend hours in front of a bright screen. Therefore, a large part of us needs to be in nature. We need the fresh air, green fields and yellowing autumn leaves.
I don’t like to talk about it, but the quarantine due to the covid has had a great effect on our minds, precisely because it has enclosed us within four walls. It has made us more anxious, depressed and unable to concentrate.
So you can imagine for yourself what it would feel like to work indoors for years without going out.
I don’t want to be tragic, but for your own good, get out of your armchair and go for a walk. If you have a dog, take it upon yourself to take it out, at least once or twice a day.
If you have a house cat, buy him a leash and take him out too, because the poor thing needs to go out too.
Animals are great for making us more active, but if you are among those who cannot have them, find a way to get outside anyway. You can arrange with a friend to go for a walk or you can go out alone and enjoy a walk to the beat of your favourite song.
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Give yourself a schedule
When we are at home we get carried away with work, especially if we are our own boss. We risk working all day every day without a break, because ours does not feel like ‘real’ work.
This is very wrong and above all unfair to yourselves. None of us were born to work and we should not devote our entire lives to it.
In order to last like this for years, you have to set working hours and follow them. You can decide to work mornings or afternoons but never exceed a certain number of hours.
Also because I assure you that after eight hours your brain will be too fried to produce anything worth spending time on.
Remember after every hour to take your eyes off the screens for 5 minutes and take breaks after 3 hours. The more rested you are, the more productive you will be and able to do your best.
Do a hobby that distracts you and allows you to relax
Once you have worked your fair share of hours, if you have created a good schedule, you will be left with free time.
Here you have two choices: spend all your hours on your phone watching hundreds of videos and come out more stressed than before.
Or, do something you enjoy and that gives you the desire to get up in the morning.
Be it hanging out with friends, reading, watching a movie or crocheting. Anything goes as long as it makes you satisfied. (You can also be on your phone but try to consume content that you enjoy and not one that ruins your day).
Dress and prepare as if you were going out
This advice is not necessary for everyone. There are people who can get into the work mood just fine even if they are wearing Minions pyjamas.
Not everyone is like that, however, especially at the beginning.
The separation from a serious workplace to one’s home is difficult and getting ready for the day can help a lot more than you think. You don’t have to put on a suit and tie, but dress up, put on perfume and if you want, make-up too.
Pretend you have to go into the office after half an hour and look presentable.
Doing all this, for ourselves, can do magic for our concentration and motivation. (This is why wearing trousers is recommended during meetings).
Find a space to work
Sometimes we don’t realise it but our unconscious directs many, if not all, aspects of our lives. Our brain knows that when we get into bed, under the covers, it is time to sleep.
It knows that when we put ourselves at the table, it is time to eat. And it knows that when we make ourselves nice and fragrant, it is time to go out.
By going against these rules we are only going against ourselves. You cannot work in the place where you sleep, or you will get sleepy, and preferably not even in the place where you eat.
You must choose a place that your unconscious will recognise as the place of work. Dedicate it only to that and nothing else.
For many this place is a simple desk but there are also people who use an office or a small attic.
Choose your place and don’t change it.
Don’t mix housework with work
When you are in the office, you don’t iron your laundry between calls. And the same must not happen at home.
While you are working you must give your full concentration to what you are doing, thinking about 5 things at a time will only give you a big headache.
Worry about chores before work or after, but NEVER while. And make this rule clear to your family as well.
Eat and sleep on regular time
Especially if you live alone, it is easy to get carried away with work and forget to take care of your body.
But if working from home is not a temporary situation, you are forced to take care of that aspect too. Or even after only a month you will suffer a lot in terms of health.
Stick to the timetable and avoid surviving on sandwiches just to make a quick meal. A cooked meal does a lot for us and work doesn’t have the legs to run away.
End Your Day With a Routine
You thought you only had to decide on a routine for the morning.
But no.
The evening routine is important and brings as many benefits as the morning routine. It can be made up of really simple steps.
You can read about ten pages of a book, say a few affirmations or meditate for five minutes. Nothing complicated just something to prepare you for a perfect night’s rest.
I am sure these tips will help you to establish a healthy and efficient environment. Take care of yourself, good work.
