A Small Guide to Working from Home
From a freelancer who’s worked from home for years
Believe me, it’s not easy. This whole situation isn’t. The corona virus is spiking and to be honest, I’m a little scared as well. As a freelancers, I don’t know how long I will have enough work. But. I’d like to make the best out of it. So I would like to share with you how I make sure I have a productive day while working from home.
About seven years ago, I started working as a freelance journalist. I was 21 and taking a leap of faith, so far, it worked out well. Sometimes I work at offices from my temporarily employees, but mostly from home. I got wiser by the years. This is what I learned in seven years trial and error. If you have to isolate yourself and work from home, I hope I can help you a little bit with these five tips.
First things first
Okay, so, if you have to work from home because of the corona virus, not all these advice's will work for you. Please listen to your local authorities. Please follow their instructions. The measures taken in The Netherlands are different from other countries.
So if you have to stay indoors: stay indoors. I usually do whatever I like, but that’s probably the stupidest idea these days. Just be a boring boy scout. It’s okay. These measures are not just for your safety, they’re also for the people around you. You know, the ones who can actually die from this crazy virus.
Keep your morning routine
Get up at the same time you always do, take a shower, get dressed, have breakfast and coffee. If you’re feeling a little crazy, get a coffee to go if that’s still possible in your area. Don’t sleep in late, don’t start late. It will make you feel sluggish. Yes, after over seven years, I still find this difficult.
The same goes for working in your sweatpants or starting the day with your laptop in bed. That is great for a week, after that you’ll probably feel useless, unproductive and slightly disgusting. At least I do. When I start out in bed, I usually feel like I’ve been on a festival without being able to take a shower for at least a month. And that’s day one.
So take your time to get your morning routine done. This will not only help you to feel better about yourself and more productive, it will also make it easier when you do have to get back to the office. Because let’s face it, someday we have to.
Use travel to to get moving
Most of us have to travel to work. Here in The Netherlands, we get on or bikes, take the train or voluntarily get stuck in traffic. We’re a small country, it gets crowded. But the time we use to travel, is a time we have to ourselves. You can listen to a podcast, get some fresh air, some movement, we can reflect on ourselves, read a book or whatever floats your boat.
You will miss this time when you’re working from home. Start your day with some exercise. Go for a run before your morning routine. Do some yoga with a YouTube-teacher, stretch, go for a walk outside. I don’t know. But I promise, you’ll start your day great. This will be quite a hassle the first few days (well, for most of us, I’m not talking to all the extremely productive guru’s here), but after that, it’s a routine and you know why you do it.
Take a break
If possible: go outside. Go for a walk, get yourself a healthy lunch, prepare yourself a meal in the kitchen. Do a little dance while playing your favorite music. I mean, is there ever a day at work where you can do your crazy work during the day? I know. Working from home can be awesome. I usually annoy my neighbors (I live in a very noisy building) with my non-existing singing skills. It’s great.
The breaks don’t have to be long. Just get your head out of your computer every once in a while. It make you more productive.
And spin some records. Well, if you have a record player. A lot of people use the Pomodoro technique, I use records. Every 25 minutes I have to get up to turn the record or find a new one. It’s a small thing that makes me think about other stuff for just a minute. This is my way to take a break and get moving. My Pomodoro technique. It’s the same idea.
Because keep moving, it’s important. Telephone call? Stand up and walk through the room. Move. You’re not having meetings and your not running around the office, so you have to do something.
Find little rituals
The record-thing is sort of a little ritual. For me, it’s mindfully playing music. Sounds kind of woolly, but it works for me. Doing thing not automatically, makes me focust. The same goes for coffee. I have an espresso machine. I grind the beans, foam the milk and make the coffee. Takes some time, but it’s really a way to get my mind of other things. Because, see the previous point, you need breaks.
Finish your day
So, that’s it, you did it! You worked from home, you were productive and your boss is happy. Now it’s your time.
And make sure that after work time really is your time. Take a moment to finish your day. Log out of all your accounts, close your laptop and store it. Store it somewhere you can’t see it. Really take a moment to end your work day. Because when you work from home, you cannot leave everything behind at the office. Your home is your office now. That makes it extra important to separate work from your own time. To make sure you’re not working 24/7. You don’t want that. Nobody wants that. Not even the people who say they do. Believe me, I’ve been one of those people.
Bonus: work comfortable
So yay, you survived working from home ánd the virus! Except now you’re sitting at home because you killed your back or shoulders. Please invest in an external mouse and keyboard, place your laptop screen higher. It’ll make working from home — even if you’re on the kitchen table — much more comfortable.
Stay healthy! Work out, eat your veggies and work from home like a boss, but responsible. Together we can do this.
Hi! I’m Ingelise de Vries, a journalist and (copy)writer from The Netherlands. That means I’m Dutch, so there could be a mistake in this piece. Spotted one? Don’t hesitate to let me know through info@ingelisedevries.nl. Want to know more about me? I’m telling you all about it right here.
