Building a Productive Routine Working At Home

Whether you are freelancing or a WFH warrior, here’s how to make it work.

So you’ve gone and done it.

You’ve quit your job and have gone freelancing. Maybe you’ve been doing this already part-time, but now it’s your full-time gig.

Or… or maybe you’ve just started working for a company that has you working from home.

Either way, you’re responsible for your time, productivity, and routine.

Now what?

The good news is that these are not difficult to manage. Here are some easy tips to get you started.

You Need More Than Just a Morning Routine

You’ve probably already read about the importance of having a healthy morning routine. That’s absolutely necessary. In general, longtime freelancers recommend starting your day with water, light exercise, and a little bit of quiet time with no smartphones or TVs or anything. Use the time to mentally and physically get into your groove.

But it’s equally important to have a solid evening routine to support your mornings. A good evening routine can include:

• A regular set bedtime.
• At least an hour before bed not doing anything associated with work.
• Journaling. You can write about long or short-term goals. You can write aspirations. You could even write poetry. Writing is a great exercise to calm the mind while also engaging it healthily.
• Avoid alcohol or caffeine before bed. You want your sleep to be a good one.

If an evening routine doesn’t work for you, try creating a routine before or after dinner that includes some of the above suggestions.

Prioritize the Big Stuff

Take on important projects early. Don’t wait for someone to tell you to do this. Do it yourself and be that self-starter you claimed to be when you started this.

It’s a tough habit to cultivate, but once you train yourself to prioritize the more critical items on your to-do list, you’ll find everything else much simpler and less stressful.

Workdays Come To an End

Many newcomers to the freelance/work-from-home lifestyle have trouble balancing work and real life. Some are unsure how productive they should be and end up overdoing it.

Look, go ahead and reply to that email. Finish that article and mark it for editing tomorrow. Make an outline of the social media marketing campaign you’re developing for that client.

But when your workday is done, it’s done. Go out for a run or a walk. Figure out where your children are and play some games. Kiss your partner.

Have a set end to each day, and do your best to stick to it. If you need to adjust how much work you’re taking in or how it’s scheduled, adjust that — not your personal time.

Moderate Your Distractions

No one expects you to sit in absolute silence while working from home. Your old workplace wasn’t all that quiet, was it?

At home, you control your environment. Want to play a classical music station on the radio? Or jazz? Go for it. There are also thousands of great podcasts you can listen to while working. Play them at a low volume just for the background noise.

Avoid listening to the news — especially these days. Keep that limited to ten minutes in the morning and in the afternoon. If aliens are attacking, someone will DM you.

Similarly, control your social media. Turn off automatic notifications on your phone and computer and only check your social media for a few minutes between projects as a sort of reward.

Don’t linger. Five minutes of Twitter or Facebook is all you really need in one sitting.

Make a Checklist For Household Maintenance

It’s easy to let household chores slip away, right?

That was a surprising thing to learn when I first went freelance full-time some 20 years ago.

Fortunately, the solution is as simple as creating a daily checklist of chores — shopping list style. I fill mine out in a notebook, but you could also print them out and make them into pads or something.

My daily chore list makes sure the garbage goes out, the dishes are done, and the kid is fed. Some of these I do during my mid-day break. The rest I do before the end of the day.

I only mention this because I know how the intensity of freelance work can sometimes distract one from “regular world” issues. I’m not suggesting you’re a forgetful slob. I’m acknowledging that I am and that maybe my experience is not 100% unique.

If It Will Help, Get an Accountabilibuddy

Simply put, have someone who checks in on you to make sure you’re following through with the work you need to be doing.

This shouldn’t be a boss or anything. More like a spouse or partner, a roommate, a fellow freelancer, or just a friend who calls and checks in on you now and then.

There’s nothing wrong with getting some outside encouragement as you build toward a more robust work routine.

You could even return the favor and see if any of your colleagues need checking in on.

Be each other’s coaches.

You Can Do This

Working from home, either as a freelancer, contract worker, or WFH employee, you’re going to enjoy having more control over your workspace and schedule.

So long as the work gets done correctly, everyone will be happy.

Take advantage of the opportunity. If you have trouble getting into the groove or keeping up with a new work paradigm, remember these tips.

They’ll pay off.

Cheers!

About John Teehan

John lives in Rhode Island with his wife, son, and dog. He specializes in tech, health, business, parenting, pop culture, and gaming. Visit wordsbyjohn.net for more info and rates. Twitter: @WordsByJohn2