Sometimes I talk to myself. Sometimes I talk to myself more than I’ll talk to anyone else in a given day. Sometimes, I start to think talking to myself is normal.
This might well be a sign that I’m fast heading for crazy-land, but it’s more likely that it’s a result of working from home. Alone.
If you’re a fellow freelancer with a desk squashed into your lounge/kitchen/anywhere it will damn well fit, you might also be facing similar signs of crazy.
The truth is, if you want to work from home you have to face up to the fact that a lot of the time you’ll be spending time with you, you, and…. Yeah, you got it, you. Unless of course you’re part of a family of freelancers or some other situation that’s probably a whole lot healthier.
When I first started freelancing I struggled to work from home simply because I didn’t know how to structure my time to make the most of it. This meant I ended up working longer hours than I needed to (because, well, procrastination) which in turn resulted in me seeing less people and being released into the wild more (because, well, work).
After a few months of trial and error I found a routine that worked for me. I get stuff done early and leave the afternoons free to work on the blog or, you know, see people. Talk. Interact. That kinda thing.
Sometimes it’s impossible to set up a work from home schedule though, depending on how much work you have and other commitments (kids or animals and stuff. The usual).
So when you feel like you’re about to start pulling your hair out and mumbling nonsense to the spider plant, try one of these suggestions and let me know how it goes!
Work from Home? Here’s How to Not Go Crazy!
Take Regular Breaks. Please.
Oh man this is so, so important.
So many people cut breaks from their schedule because they waste time. They are especially nonsensical when you have a lot to do, right? Truth is, when you’re busy you need breaks more.
Even if it’s five minutes away from the computer to step outside, make a cup of coffee, or take a phone call with a friend, this can do you the world of good. Seriously, just try it now. Get up, step away from the computer, and find something else to do.
Breaks are great for a number of reasons. If you do them right – i.e. clicking over to another website for a few minutes isn’t a break.
Firstly, you’re moving around. Getting the blood flowing, moving your limbs, and having a good old stretch. When you work from home you tend to sit slumped in front of the computer all day which leads to bad posture and the inability to straighten up completely when “hometime” comes around.
Secondly, you’re stepping away from your work. If you’re stuck at a tricky spot or aren’t sure how to make the next move, taking a break can be a great way to refresh a tired mind and come at it fresh.
Plus, you won’t be tempted to click over to another site to pass a few minutes whilst you come up with some ideas. Oh wait… what happened to the last 3 hours? True story.
Finish at a reasonable time
When you work from home you don’t have set working hours. For many this is an absolute godsend, but for some it’s difficult to really switch off at the end of the day.
For most employees, the end of the day is signified by the clock striking 5. Then they leave the office and head off to sunny, sunny Mexico (a.k.a. the sofa or the pub).
For those of us who work from home, this isn’t the case.
Sometimes the clock keeps ticking by and we don’t even realise we’re working our way towards midnight. Eek.
Finishing at a reasonable time each day not only gives you the closure you need at the end of the day, but it also gives you an allotted time by which you need to finish your work. As soon as you have that structure in place you’re more likely to whizz through your to-do list and less likely to spend a couple of hours browsing videos of cats.
Make the Most of Your Time Off
And, when you finish work for the day, don’t stay sitting at your laptop. I know Netflix and YouTube are oh-so tempting, but make an effort to go outside, meet friends, indulge in a hobby – basically anything that’s unrelated to work.
So many people I know who work from home will switch off for the day and then switch over to some other website or task that involves the laptop.
In my eyes, this completely ruins the whole point of having an end time.
Confession: I’m often guilty of this. Sometimes I’ll finish work and head straight over to the novel I’m writing or finish up a blog post. Now I try to go outside for a bit first, have a read, or do something else in between.
Just that brief time away can work wonders (see: take regular breaks).
Put Some Damn Clothes On
There’s this horrible stereotype about people who work from home that basically suggests they lounge around in their pyjamas all day watching films and drinking whiskey.
Whilst this romantic (is it really romantic?!) idea of freelancers and writers in particular is doing the rounds in films and books, it’s so often far from the truth.
As soon as I get up in the morning I shower and get dressed, which makes me feel ready to work. On a couple of occasions I’ve stayed in my pyjamas and I just haven’t had the same amount of motivation. For some reason pyjamas equals Netflix and relaxing for me – basically the complete opposite of work!
Say No to Friends (Within Reason)
Since I’ve been working from home, I’ve had a lot of friends who seem to think I don’t do very much all day and can pretty much go out and about with them whenever they want me to.
I mean, yes, sure I can rearrange my schedule to fit in lunch with friends and I do this regularly, but it can also be stressful when you pack too many social arrangements into your calendar just because you can.
One of the best (and hardest) things I’ve learnt is to say no when I feel stressed out with work or feel like it’ll ruin my schedule if I take a few hours out for lunch. Usually, I love to say yes, as it means I get out the house and can actually talk to people (and the whole point of this post is to stop you from going crazy not talking to anyone all day so it can seem a bit contradictory) but it’s good to know your limits. And it’s good for your friends and family to know your limits, too.
Use a Different Base
If none of these things work and you still find yourself singing into your banana in the morning, it might be a good idea to completely up sticks and move your office.
Sitting at the same desk in your house day in day out is bound to get tiring after a while, so why not plan a couple of days in a café or a co-working space each week?
You’ll not only get a change of scenery which, let’s face it, does wonders for motivation levels, but you’ll also be able to meet people (yay!) and not go crazy talking to yourself all day. Sure, you might have to spend a bit of money, but it’s worth it for your sanity, right?!
Your turn! I’d love to hear how you stop yourself from going crazy when you work from home! Any techniques or tricks of the trade you can share?
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These are wonderful tips! I work at home M-F from 8-4 pm and I go stir crazy sometimes too. I need to remind myself to take breaks. That is something I am plum horrible at. And getting dressed – YES! During the summer when my son was home I stayed in pajamas the majority of the time. I felt so blah and frumpy. But now that he’s back in school I get up and get dressed everyday and it’s made a huge difference!
I’m the same Crystal – it makes such a difference if I get up and get dressed as it feels like I’m “going to work”!
Great suggestions! Yes, sometimes I go crazy and talk to myself too. I try to follow these same rules and when I don’t that’s when I lose it. ha!
Haha I’m glad I’m not the only one Bree!
Great advice! My girlfriend and I recently graduated from Penn State Univeristy and have decided to take a gap year to travel the U.S. During the year we are both freelancing, she is a graphic designer and I am a digital marketing consultant.
We both have struggled early with the structure of working from home/on the road, but we agree with your tips! Thanks for sharing them!
Glad you like the tips Brad! It takes time to find a schedule that works well for you but I’m sure you’ll find one soon enough 🙂 Best of luck to you and your girlfriend!
I am currently looking for freelance work, so this is super helpful as I think through what my days may look like and take in all tips! Thanks!
lauren recently posted…Making Day By Day Plans At Disney World
Glad this could help you in some way Lauren!
LOSE three hours on a random website? THAT has NEVER happened to me – yet, today 😛
hehehehe
I didn’t get much sleep last night and hence am too tired to shower this morning, BUT I agree with each one of your tips.
I would only add power naps to this list – although, in my case, I rarely sleep soundly, so my siestas drag for two hours – lol
THANK YOU #HUGS
Kitto
Haha Kitto, losing three hours to some random website is the story of my life!!
Ah power naps – I love thee! I always feel so groggy when I wake up from them though, so I only try to have them if I’m super tired and can’t stop thinking about bed 😀
Yes, “stir crazy” is the right term for it. I feel it helps if you have a home-office that looks out onto life outside your home. For those who live in a suburban area where nothing happens outside their window, scheduling a day or two each week to work elsewhere is key like you suggest. It could be at a coffee shop, the library, in a museum, at the mall, or even the lobby of a hotel.
The remote work location can enliven your surroundings and promote greater productivity and creativity. Just having people around and the buzz associated with it can offer positive benefits for those who are not working in a “regular” office space.
Thanks for the tips and reminder to get outside and talk to people!
Scott @ VacationCounts recently posted…Back to School Time is Time to Plan End of Year Holiday Vacations
Yes, I completely agree with you Scott! Even if you don’t actually speak to anyone apart from the barista, it’s good to be amongst life and other people simply for inspiration or to feel like you’re part of civilisation!
Oh this is so good. and SO true. I work full time from home and I was JUST talking to my husband about this last night. For a long time I never took breaks. I felt guilty if I did. Now I take a yoga class in the morning, play with the dogs at my “lunch” or go see a girlfriend for a walk for a while. Also, shutting off, yeah, not so great at that. Yesterday I worked from 8am until 9pm. I love what I do so its hard to stop. I need to make better boundaries. LOVED this post, it was a wake up call. haha thanks girl!
It’s difficult to shut off when you love what you do, isn’t it?! I could easily work on my blog or other writing projects well into the night, but have to remind myself to step away from the screen sometimes for my own good!
Yes, the one thing I miss about my corporate job is getting coffee with my coworkers. Now I send them emails … and it’s just not the same. I try to schedule a lunch with friends at least twice a month. Then I know that I’m guaranteed to shower, get dressed, and have human interaction. Beats “singing into a banana” (although that has its place, too).
Beth recently posted…Punch Time in the Face
Haha singing into a banana DEFINITELY has it’s place! I always try to get out and about at least 2 days out of the 5 I work a week (just for a change of scenery and to “get away” from work).
I love your pictures! The Coffee Break section I’m going to do NOW! Thank you for the suggestions, you are so right. One day I’m going to have to try getting dressed! LOL 😀
Yes! Have that coffee break – you deserve it! Getting dressed is so overrated sometimes 😀
By far the most important and difficult one for me is Finish at a Reasonable Time. It can be too easy to forget the clock and plough on for hours, and then regret it in the morning when you can’t drag yourself out of bed. Thanks for the article!
So true – I struggle with that as well, especially because I love what I do so it’s hard to break away sometimes!
Yes to all of these points! Putting actual ‘real people’ clothes on to do my work has been such a huuuuge thing for me. It really helps me get in that business mindset. I struggle a bit with the finishing at a reasonable time part – it’s so easy to keep telling yourself “5 more minutes” and then before you know it’s it’s been hours past finishing time. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah recently posted…Low FODMAP Pesto
It’s SO easy to keep saying “5 more minutes”, I’m guilty of that pretty much every day! Thanks for stopping by Sarah 🙂
This is so helpful! I’m an SAHM, so I’m always looking for ways to be more productive at home. Thanks!
Dara recently posted…Significant Style: The Black and White Shirtdress.
Glad it was useful for you Dara!
Not only are all of these great tips, but I found myself thinking of personal examples for each one! I hate it when I have to stop to make dinner because I’m never done with work; I get so stiff sitting all the time and have started to stand for periods during the day; I will go days without talking to anyone except family (WHAT???); my daughter swears she is much more productive working at the coffee shop (maybe I should try it!); must.take.shower.!!! And put on makeup. And dry my hair. I even wear dresses at home somedays. And then there is today with yoga pants and a sweatshirt — anything but pjs! 🙂 Basically, you have hit the nail on the head here! Found you from #SITSShareFest.
BTW, this would be a fantastic pin to enter in The Pinterest Game, a weekly linkup I co-host. It is just the type of great information we would like to feature!
Wendy recently posted…The Pinterest Game #13a
I completely agree with you Wendy! I’m looking into getting a standing desk so I’m not sitting hunched over all day. Thanks for stopping by – I’ll look into The Pinterest Game 🙂
Awesome tips! When I first started working from home it was more of an adjustment than I thought it would be. Now I’ve fallen into a routine that works well and I use quite a few of the ideas you’ve listed. One thing I really had to work at was your tip about setting an end time. You’re right, it’s so easy to just keep plugging away until you really HAVE TO go outside and get fresh air.
Keisha | The Girl Next Door is Black recently posted…I Became an EntrePreneur Because Clearly I’m a Glutton for Punishment
Yes, I completely agree Keisha! It took me a while to find a routine that works for me, and I’m always trying to hone it and make it better so I’m more productive. Setting an end time was a tricky one for me, too, but I’m learning to switch off more and more!