Working from Home Do’s and Don’ts

Are you working from home right now? A lot of people right now are working from home who are not used to it.  

So, what are some do's and don'ts when you are working from home?

The 3 Sets Work from Home Do’s and Don’ts 

DO: Have a dedicated work space.

DON’T: Work from bed.

DO: Take frequent breaks.

DON'T: Work all hours of the day and night.

DO: Work in focused bursts.

DON’T: Get distracted by social media.

DO Have a Dedicated Work Space 

You want to make sure you have a dedicated work space because you're not going into the office right now.  

For example, I've proudly had a "work from home" home office for more than two decades. 

I started my company in my college dorm room in 1997 with $800 and a book on HTML. 

Today, we have a multi million-dollar business and I still work from home and I have a virtual team that's literally around the world.  

If you are working from home right now, you need a dedicated work space just like you're going into an office.  

Don't just plop down somewhere and start working.  

Instead, make sure that you have a dedicated workspace where you can shut out distractions and you can really focus and get your work done. 

DON'T Work from Your Bed 

We just talked about the importance of having a dedicated workspace in your home office.

You would never go into the office and your pajamas, would you?

That would be a little weird. 

In addition, it's really hard to focus on work when you're trying to work from your bed.

Your bedroom is a sacred space. You don't want to take your work there.  

And it's also probably bad for your relationship as well.

DO Take Frequent Breaks

The second set of do's and don'ts is do take frequent breaks.  

Now, I know that sounds counterintuitive.  

There's a lot of gurus out there or people teaching the hustle and work 18 to 20 hours a day. 

Yet the human brain does not function that way. 

Studies have shown that we humans work best in 90-minute focused intervals.

So, I teach my clients to work in what I call 90-minute uninterrupted intervals. 

Within that you want to take what I call Goal-Free Zones. 

Physically get up out of your workspace every 90 minutes.

About 10 to 15 minutes Is usually enough to reset the brain. 

And make sure that you have a healthy snack and drink some water. 

Maybe jog around the house or whatever you need to do to get those juices flowing again and then come back to work.  

DON'T Work All Hours of The Day and Night 

Don't let your work bleed into your personal life. Just like you're going into an office.  

It's really going to be frustrating for you and for probably your family. 

So, make sure you take those frequent Goal-Free Zones.

DO Work in Focused Bursts 

Work in those 90-Minute Uninterrupted Intervals where you are focused on your work. 

When you work in focused bursts, it's amazing what you can accomplish.

You will probably have to train the people you live with that this is what you're going to start doing now.

DON'T Get Distracted by Social Media

We live in a world of infinite distractions at our fingertips. 

Every second is a world of infinite distractions by virtue of our smartphones and of course on the Internet where we are connected. 

So, it's vital that when you're doing your work in these short bursts of focused attention that you don't get distracted by the lure of social media.

During your breaks if you want to go on social media do it during your breaks just like you would do at work.  

These are productivity tips that will help you work from home and help you get a lot more done.