How to Stay Engaged and Work Effectively When You Work From Home

Working from home has major perks. The potential to work flexible hours, the ability to stay home with pets and children, and traveling while still earning a paycheck are just a few. Working from home is a true dream scenario for many, but there are a few downsides to making your home your workplace.

Negative aspects of working from home include the inability to relax and clock-out at the end of the day, lack of productivity, and ability to focus. If you’re someone who works from home or you’re thinking of making that shift in your career, check out these tips for making your work-from-home job your best yet!

Get Up and Get Dressed Even When You’re Not Leaving the House

Many people who work from home joke (or boast) about the ability to wear loungewear while working. The idea of wearing pajama pants with a button-up shirt while on video interview or working all day from bed in your sweatpants is a goal for some. While this sounds like a fun perk of working from home, it can actually make you less productive and focused while trying to complete tasks.

Getting up and taking a shower and getting dressed is a great routine–and routines boost productivity. Even if you won’t be on Skype or don’t have any in-person meetings, get up and perform your regular morning routine. Getting dressed reminds you that you’re working even if you’re sitting on the couch or at the kitchen table.

Take Advantage of Coworking Space Opportunities

Working from home is awesome most of the time, but sometimes you need a little socialization and a change of scenery. Coworking spaces are becoming increasingly popular with the remote millennial worker, allowing them to experience office life every once in a while in a hip, comfortable space with other professionals.

Are you being hired for a remote job and are a little worried about isolation? Ask your future employer if they’d consider adding a once-a-week coworking space to your compensation. If that’s not an option, it may be worth investing in a coworking option to take care of your own needs. Many cities have free coworking options, as well.

Set Your Working Hours and Don’t Let Them Go Overtime Too Often

Those who work from home often struggle to set boundaries regarding when they’re working and when they’re logged off. Instead of letting yourself get overrun and burn out, set clear boundaries with your boss, your teammates, and really, yourself regarding your hours.

If 5 p.m. hits and that’s the time you finish your day, don’t feel guilty or obligated to continue working just because you’re not punching a physical clock. Overworking yourself can create resentment for your job, and who wants to ruin their dream work-from-home situation?

While overtime will always be necessary every once in a while, make sure your team has a clear understanding of when you’ll be available (just like if you were beside them at a desk) and when you’ll be logged off and enjoying your house for what it is — a home.

Decorate Your Office to Make it More Fresh and Productive

If you’re working out of an inspiring space, chances are you’ll feel uninspired, and therefore, unengaged. To keep yourself productive and happy while working, decorate your space with fresh trends like plants.

Offices often incorporate plants into their decor, as plants are proven to improve air quality and productivity. Plants are also an integral component of biophilic design, a massive trend in interior design, particularly in offices. Biophilic design brings aspects of nature indoors to help people improve health and well-being. Your personal well-being should be a focus and priority when taking on a work-from-home position.

Dracaena plants are a great example of an easy-to-care-for yet effective houseplant. Succulents like cactuses are also unique and fairly easy to tend to. Studies show that plants offer great benefits to offices and office workers, including stress reduction, less sickness, better noise levels, and creativity boosts. Why not decorate your workspace at home with lush greenery to make working more pleasurable? It’s easy, especially with the right tools to tend to your plants!

Working From Home Made Easier With Top Tips

These tips for working from home focus on personal well-being and sustainability. The goal is to enjoy working in your own space for as long as possible, not letting it get in the way of enjoying your job. Do you work from home? If you don’t, would you like to? What are your tips for making working from home work for you? Let us know down in the comments, and check out our other office decor and design tips on our blog.