This post is in partnership with Logitech, thank you for supporting brands who support TCM. As always, all thoughts, opinions, experience, and advice is my own. Post contains affiliate links
Not only is next week National Work From Home Week, but October also marks 4 years since I *officially* started my own company!! That's over 4 years of working from home (there were a few months I dilly-dallied at home before registering my company!) I figured in order to celebrate I'd share my top tips for working from home plus do a GIVEAWAY at the end with some serious essentials to set yourself up for success!
Let me be the first to say, I love working from home. It's literally one of my favorite things about being self-employed. I finished snuggling on the couch with my pup, while I was drafting this post in my head. How much better does it get than that?! It's not always midday lounges on the couch though. As amazing as working from home is, it also comes with a serious learning curve. When your work from home, who is going to hold you accountable with *actually* getting stuff done? How do you even set up a workspace (especially in a tiny apartment!)?! Trust me, I've spent more afternoons than I can count binging Netflix instead of working. So today I wanted to share my top tips to set yourself up for success when working from home.
Essential Work From Home Tips:
Create a dedicated workspace.
No matter how small your apartment/studio/home might be, set up a corner that's your at home office. For me, that started off as my couch in my living room. E and I both ran our businesses and lived in our little 900 sq. ft pre-furnished apartment. It had one TV in the bedroom, so the couch never got used. It became my office. When I sat on it, my mind shifted to work. In our next apartment, I actually had a little more space to spring for a desk that I put in the corner of our living room. And now in our current townhouse, I actually have a full on home office. Even if you don't work from this space 100% of the time, it's so important to have an area that your mind can begin associating with work.
Get the right equipment
Personally, I don't know what I'd do without an external monitor (I've had this one for 3 years and love it!). It was a total game changer in my productivity. It allows me to keep my neck upright instead of slouched over. I even move mine all around my house depending on where I'm working (like I said, you probably won't work from your dedicated workspace all of the time). Which is why I also love the Logitech K780 multi-device wireless keyboard and the MX anywhere 2S mouse! The keyboard allows you to switch from your computer to tablet to phone seamlessly! And the mouse allows you to work anywhere and between three computers! Meaning if you copy something on yours and then switch over to your interns or significant others or whoever's computer and paste it on theirs! How cool is that?!
Get used to video
I don't care what industry you're in, but when you work from home, eventually video will become your best friend! If for no other reason than to combat the loneliness that can come from being home all day with no co-workers in sight. Seriously, even if your industry doesn't really need you to hop on video conference calls, you'll want to set up some digital coffee dates with friends or colleagues to keep yourself from going crazy.
With that said, a lot of industry's will have you hop on video conference calls (and if you're a content creator you may want to try your hand at an e-course or something some day). So I'd recommend getting a really solid set up. I love the Logitech 4K Pro Webcam! It's video quality is SO good! Seriously, if you get it, you won't have to worry about lighting since it's RightLight™ 3 technology with HDR helps you look your best in any light!
If you don't have a Logitech 4K Pro Webcam then you'll definitely need to think about lighting when you are setting up your workspace. If you have a window behind you, make sure to get a light for in front of your face otherwise you'll be really dark and your video background will be really light. If you don't want to buy a light for in front of your face, you can use a lamp, just take off the shade. Or set up your space so the window is in front of you, just keep in mind that whomever you're video chatting with will see what's in the backdrop!
Set a schedule and boundaries
One of the best things about working from home is the flexibility and freedom it provides to really let you create your dream work-life balance! With that said, it's easy to fall into just tackling the personal and forgetting about the professional, or vice versa. This can take some trial-and-error, but play around with different schedules and boundaries to see what works best for you, and know that it will change over time.
Personally, right now, I'm loving doing an hour of work from 7:30-8:30, then a workout from 8:30-9:30 and any laundry loads I need to put in. From 9:30-12:30 I work again, then I relax until 1, before jumping back into work until 5 or 6. I have a strict no email on my phone policy and don't typically log-on for any work after I've logged out for the day. That's not to say there aren't nights where I find myself working at 9 pm… but on those nights it's because I choose to, rather than I feel obligated or can't seem to find my “off” switch. It allows me to be present for my family and household responsibilities.
Pump up the jams!
Like I just mentioned, one of the toughest parts about working from home can be the loneliness. The other tough part about working from home is finding motivation. Throughout my life, I never listened to music while studying or working – but once I started working from home that all changed! Since you won't hear the hustle and bustle of the office, you'll probably find the silence to be a little deafening at times. I recommend the MX Sound bluetooth speakers from Logitech! They provide expectational audio for pumping up the jams and getting you in the mood to tackle all your to-do's for the day! They also sound great for all those video calls you'll probably find yourself on too!
Stay caffeinated & healthy!
Once you start working from home you may think, “Great! I can finally lose those extra lbs now that everyone isn't bringing donuts and baked goods into the office all the time!” Only you quickly realize just how much you actually walked around your office, versus sitting around your house. Or that you actually have your entire kitchen stocked to the brim with who knows what!
It's totally normal to feel tired and unmotivated (queue caffeine) and put on a few extra lbs when you start working from home (it's a major change in activity level for most). Take some time to stock up on healthy snacks, and try to take the mentality that you're “in the office.” If you wouldn't be eating it at work, don't eat it now. I also recommend going for a long walk in the morning or evening (or both!) to get out of the house, clear your mind and get your activity level up again. The morning or evening walk can also be a great way to “reset” as you transition from work mode to home life.
GIVEAWAY
It’s not an ‘official’ US holiday, but Logitech is celebrating National Work from Home Week (#WFHWeek) for the second year in a row!What’s more, Research from Global Workplace Analytics shows working from home can lead to increased productivity, improved employee morale, higher talent retention rates and more. And last year, #WFHWeek participants saved more than 60,000 kg of CO2 by working from home.
I'm so excited to celebrate WFH Day with Logitech and give one lucky winner:
• Logitech 4K Pro Webcam (the world’s first high-definition webcam, making it easier to stay in touch with colleagues, no matter where you are)
• MX Anywhere 2S (a powerful mouse that works seamlessly across three computers including navigating and copy-pasting between them)
• MX SOUND (premium Bluetooth speakers for an exceptional audio experience at your desk)
• Logitech K780 Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard (a desktop keyboard that lets you easily switch between typing on your computer, tablet and/or phone)
• A Logitech branded coffee tumbler (because like I said, you're going to need your daily java dose ?)
HOW TO ENTER:
- Follow me @theconfusedmillennial
- Follow @logitech
- Tag a friend in this photo on my Instagram feed who’d love this giveaway too!
BONUS ENTRIES: In a separate comments of this photo, tag more friends (each comment counts as 1 entry) that would love these goodies too! And share why you need this work from home set up!
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