Working from home has its own set of pros and cons when compared to working in an office. You have to motivate yourself to get to work every day, scheduling your own time, and working independently for the most part. Depending on the job you have, you may have a schedule to follow or you may not. If you’re struggling to get your work done, there are a few different tips and tricks you may be able to try in order to become more efficient. But why exactly is working from home so difficult, and how can you easily alleviate the stress you’re experiencing? 

Why is Working From Home so Hard?

There are many reasons that working from home can feel impossible sometimes. Working in the same place that you do everything else, such as eating, sleeping, and relaxing, and leads to feeling tired all the time or other mental health struggles. If you don’t draw a firm line between work, play, and taking care of yourself, these different quadrants of your life may begin to blur together. 

For some people, working from home may be difficult because of the distractions they have, like children, pets, or even just access to a television or gaming system (or any other activity they enjoy doing more than working). 

There’s no one looking over your shoulder or motivating you, you have to do it all yourself. This can be hard to adapt to, but there are many ways to make the transition from office work to working from home much easier. 

Tips for Working From Home

Whether you’re just starting out at a new job that requires you to work from home, or you’re struggling to work from home at a job you’ve had for months, here are a few tips to help you along the way. 

Start Small

If you’ve never worked from home before, one of the best things you can do to help yourself get adjusted is to start small. Take on smaller projects, or try working one day out of the week at home instead of switching to a work-from-home schedule full-time right off the bat. 

Starting small can also apply to each and every day. Start with something small in the morning and work on it to completion. You’ll feel so much better knowing that you’ve gotten something checked off your to-do list early. Use that momentum to power through the rest of the day. 

Use a Schedule Instead of a To-Do List

Staring at a to-do list that’s full of things you need to do for the day can be overwhelming. If you use a schedule instead, you can budget your time for each to-do list item. For example, if you have emails to respond to, budget yourself an hour here and there to respond to emails. You can also schedule “meetings” with yourself by blocking off time where you have your notifications off (or even your internet off). Use this time to work on tasks without being distracted by anything else. 

Stop When You’re on a Roll

Because it can be really hard to get going in the morning, try stopping when you’re in the middle of a task the day before. This will give you something to start the next morning, picking up right where you left off the previous night. 

Stay Organized 

Staying organized is a vital part of working from home. If you aren’t organized, you can easily fall off and forget what you’re supposed to be doing. You should always keep a calendar that includes due dates, meeting schedules, and more. By keeping yourself organized you’ll be able to better plan out each and every day, alleviating any stress you may feel. 

Eliminate Distractions

One of the hardest parts of working from home is all of the distractions. When you work from home, you have access to everything in your house from your kitchen to video games and even your bed (for a quick nap). 

By eliminating access to these distractions (either by working in a different room or even from a coffee shop) you may find that you’re more productive. 

Prioritize Your Work

Look at everything you have to do and work on the high-stakes projects first. If you have anything that’s due soon, you should always work on that before taking on other projects or working on other assignments you may have. 

Plan for Tomorrow 

When you end your workday, always end by planning what you’re going to do tomorrow. Think about what you have due, what meetings you have, and any other scheduling things that need to be taken care of. If you don’t plan for the next day, you may find that you aren’t budgeting enough time to finish projects before they’re due. 

Products that Can Help You Work More Effectively 

Sometimes, your productivity needs a little bit of a boost. Thankfully, there are so many products out there that can help you work from home more easily. You can choose from aesthetically pleasing items that dress up your office space, turning it into a place that you enjoy being, to comfort products, and products that help keep you from being distracted. 

Mug Warmer

The Ember mug warmed is a great addition to any desk, as it’ll keep your coffee, tea, or other beverage hot throughout the morning. We know just how hard it is to get through a day without caffeine, but this mug is here to help you through any rough mornings. Not only is it a great addition to your desk, but it’s also sleek in design, meaning it won’t take up too much space either. 

Comfort Items

There are so many comfort items out there that can help to improve your work performance, but some of our favorites include: 

• Armrests

• Footrests

• Seat cushions 

• Lumbar support cushions 

• Comfy blankets 

• Essential oil diffusers 

• Humidifiers 

• Ergonomic office chairs

• And more 

If you’re uncomfortable while you work, you may not feel motivated to get your work done. Discomfort is very distracting and can easily lead to a drop in your motivation. By making yourself feel more comfortable throughout your workday, you may actually get more work done. 

Distraction Blockers

If you’re having trouble working because you keep checking your Facebook, scrolling through Twitter, or even online shopping, there are plenty of browser extensions and desktop applications that can help you block out these distractions. Some allow you to easily lock specific websites while you work so you won’t have access to them while others can block you from accessing specific applications altogether. 

Master Working From Home

Whether you’re just starting out working from home or you’ve been doing it for years, just know that there are times where it will be challenging and times where it will be easy. Just liking working in an office, there are pros and cons. There are some barriers and hurdles to get over, but working from home doesn’t work for everyone. 

However, with these strategies and products, you should be able to overcome any obstacles and become a master of working from home. Whether you love it or hate it, at least you’ll be able to make it through a tough day.