Everyone wants to work from home, but when they get the opportunity, they realize it's not what they thought it'd be. It's a lot more Netflix and eating than it is spreadsheets and emails. That's because our home is a place of comfort and not work. It's what we're used to escaping to when we leave long hour workdays at the office. I'm sure you don't want to spend money on everlasting coffee, everyday takeout, or rent another space with a cubicle smaller than the one you left.
You have to come to terms.
Working from home is cost-effective, comfortable, and trains you to be productive at your most vulnerable times as a freelancer. Here are a few tips to help you get through the day as a professional work from home freelancer.
Workstation
Set up a proper workstation in your home. If you're doing online work setting up a workstation should be easy. A desk and computer chair is sufficient enough. When I first started Brooklyn Artistry, I was running the collective in a small bedroom in East New York. I was way too broke to afford a Mac, so I was working on one of those old ass computers that look like a TV (yes, this is a true story). But you know what, it worked. Set up your station next to a window so you can get good sunlight. I'm telling you, it helps.
Work Hours
Set reasonable work hours. The perk of working from home is that you can sleep in a bit. My internal alarm clock naturally awakes at 7 AM. I've abided by this and set my work home schedule around this. My work schedule was simple:
07:00 AM - I'd wake up, workout for 30 minutes, put on a pot of coffee, then take a shower.
08:00 AM - Get a cup of coffee and start working.
10:00 AM - I eat breakfast.
10:30 AM - Get back to work.
02:00 PM - Lunch.
03:00 PM - Get back to work.
05:00 PM - Done.
Unless you have a hard deadline, it's imperative that you abide by your work schedule. Going overboard will cause exhaustion or the lack of a personal life. Having rest and time for yourself is essential.
Priorities
When you're working, make sure you are unavailable. Taking a call that will distract you for three hours isn't something you'd do at work, so don't let it be the case at home. The idea of having a home office is to work and be as productive as possible. Setting your priorities straight will help you.
I hope this helps. If you have your own home office set up or your ritual, drop a line in the comment section to let us know how you do it.
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