10 Ways to Work From Home (WFH) Like a Boss

Working from home can either be a godsend or a curse, but two issues still remain: how to ward off distractions and stay motivated.

Scroll for creative ways to motivate yourself, and fight the urge to procrastinate.

1. Despite not having to leave your apartment, creating a routine and following through with it is crucial. One way to do this is by fighting the urge to sleep in. if you normally wake up at 7am because you have to commute, then try and do the same when you work from home. Continuing to do this, will help you when you eventually have to go back to your work place.

2. Compile a list of goals you want to achieve by the end of the day or week. Creating a list of priorities will help you stay motivated as checking these off will give you a sense of achievement. Check out this online tool from Trello for creating a list digitally.

3. As we are being socially distant, that does not mean we also have to social isolate ourselves. Staying connected with your co-workers is still important, regardless of not commuting to the office each day. Whether you stay in touch daily or a few times a week, it will create a work environment that you are used to. If your team normally catches up for drinks on a Friday, you can still do this virtually. Why not grab your drink of choice and connect via zoom?

4. The reality of working from home at the moment, is that you are most likely not the only one in your apartment telecommuting. For this reason, it is important to communicate with other members of your household, and work out ways to not distract one another. A good way to do this is by letting others know that you have conference calls at certain times to ensure there is no noise, or if you work best in a quiet environment. If you are the only one in the apartment working from home, set boundaries. Whether you work in a different room with a closed door, or request that they don’t distract you at all throughout the day.

5. Work the same hours you would on a normal workday. Just because you don't have a physical barrier between the two, such as geographical distance, that doesn't mean you should change your hours. However, as you are saving time from not commuting, make that time productive and meditate which will help clear your mind.

6. Designate a proper work-space at home and keep it clean. It is important to separate your personal space by not working on the couch, bed, or where you would normally relax. If you watch Netflix on the couch, it might be harder to fight the urge to not turn the TV on. Keep that space for when you switch off.

7. Just as you would take breaks in your workplace, it is important to keep this up while working at home. Make sure you split up your day when needed. If you normally grab a coffee at 10am or go for lunch at 1pm, it is important to keep the same schedule.

8. Listening to music can also improve your efficiency. If you normally listen to music in your office, it is important to adapt this at home. Check out this list for inspiration. Make sure you plug in your headphones if you live with others.

9. The same way that keeping up a routine in the morning is important so is getting dressed. That doesn't mean that you should wear a suit, but getting out of your pajamas will help. This will help with your mindset, and will allow you to switch on or off.

10. Finally, it is important to limit distractions. If you are easily distracted by social media or reading the news then put your phone away. Leave the distractions for when you are on your break. If you are struggling to work with all the noise at home, then try using noise cancelling headphones.

Finally, remember that it is normal to procrastinate from time to time, but hopefully, this list will help limit that.