How To Keep Your Sanity When Working From Home?

If you’re managing a small business from home, you know how challenging it can be.

Sure, working from home offers flexibility and allows you to achieve the work-life balance you’ve always wanted.

But does it really?

According to a recent study, 32% of Australians find working from home challenging due to distractions.

Whether you have kids and are constantly interrupted or often find yourself doing household chores instead of focusing on your projects, remote working isn’t always a walk in the park!

So, we’ve listed below five tips to help you stay sane and productive during your working hours and successfully navigate the work-home challenges.

Create A Morning Routine

It can be tempting to stay in bed a little later or go to the gym later than usual some days. After all, you don’t have to be anywhere at a particular time. Well, the reality is that you do! You should be at your desk at the same time every day, just like if you were to go to the office.

Creating a morning routine can help you maintain high energy levels and optimise your productivity throughout the day.

Although you can choose the routine that suits you best, here’s an example of a morning routine that successful entrepreneurs tend to follow:

• Wake up early - It’s a fact that as human beings, we tend to be more productive in the morning, so try to get up early during the week.
• Exercise or stretch - Start your day by exercising or stretching as it will help improve your blood circulation and give you the boost of energy you need to slay the day.
• Meditate - Meditating for a few minutes every morning can also be a great way to set a positive tone for the day and prepare your body and mind for the tasks you need to accomplish.
• Hydrate and have breakfast - Many tend to skip this step, but a healthy breakfast is important to provide you with sustained energy throughout the morning.
• Start work at the same time every day - Try to always start work at the same time and define specific work hours where you’re 100% focused on your projects.

Create A Work Space That’s Yours

One of the best ways to keep sane while working from home is to have a designated work area that’s yours and yours only. It should be a no kids, no partner, no housemate, and no dog zone during your working hours.

If you don’t have a spare room to turn into an office, you can create a little working corner in your living room using a room divider to break out the space and provide you with some privacy.

If there is one thing you need to avoid at all costs it’s working from your bed or lounge. Sure, it’s comfy! But your brain won’t be able to dissociate sleeping / relaxing time from working time, and you might end up napping or procrastinating instead of cracking on with your work.

Take Regular Breaks

There’s nothing more draining than spending all day sitting at a desk working on a computer.

Now, if you’re too busy to take a break during the day, you need to press pause as this is a sure-fire sign that you’re overworked. You might have a tight deadline that you need to achieve or simply thrive under pressure. But being constantly bogged down with work can make you lose sight of the bigger picture. Worse, it can deplete your energy levels and significantly reduce your productivity.

So make sure to take regular short breaks during the day to hydrate, eat, stretch or take a short walk, as it will allow you to recharge and stay sane.

Stay In Touch With Others

Working from home can be isolating. Yet, research has shown that interpersonal relationships are critical to a happy working environment. So, if you have a team, try to organise quick catch-ups or stay in touch with them online on a daily basis. It will help strengthen the company culture and allow you to enjoy some social interactions.

And if you work solo, make sure to plan some social time with your friends and family after work. Also, don’t hesitate to attend networking events in your niche. This will not only help you meet like-minded entrepreneurs and discuss challenges you might all be facing, but it could also lead to great friendships or even partnerships in the future!

Working alone and not interacting with people for hours on end could drive you crazy after a while and drastically hinder your productivity. So, make sure to stay in touch.

Set Boundaries On Your Work Day

Having some me-time and enjoying quality time with your loved ones is key to sanity and productivity.

That’s why in the same way you should start work at the same time every morning, you should strive to finish at the same time every day. One of the biggest challenges for remote workers is setting boundaries between their personal and professional life. Yet, drawing a line between working hours and personal time is key to avoiding feeling frustrated or burnt out because your professional life is encroaching on your personal life.

Sure, you might have to respond to an urgent email after hours every now and then. After all, that comes with being a business owner. But defining clear working hours and sticking to them will help set expectations for your clients, suppliers, and employees.

And as a small business owner or independent contractor, don’t forget to insure your business to protect it against unpredictable events and catastrophic financial loss. Whether you need public liability, products liability, professional indemnity or cyber liability insurance, you can use our instant quote generator. It will find the best insurance for your needs within seconds.