I spent much of my working life working at home because I was a freelancer and often worked as an independent contractor. I established a set of rules for myself, mostly accidentally and through trial-and-error. Here they are:
- Establish a routine and stick to it. This means getting out of bed at the same time every day preferably early, getting dressed in street clothes early, eating at regular times, etc. I learned to provide regular structure for myself and it reinforced that I was a professional and should act that way.
- Acquire the necessary equipment to do your job. For most people this is a computer, phone and broadband internet. Since I worked in graphics, this included things like scanners, multiple computers, specialized software, cameras and high-end printers.
- Set aside a limited time for time wasters like Twitter and television. Social media is important to overcome the sense of isolation work at home brings, but limit the amount of time you give to it. Don’t leave the television running when you are working.
- Establish your work station. Set up somewhere that you work every day, and let kids and significant others know that when you are in the work station, you are not to be disturbed short of something really important like the house catching fire. Unfortunately, this rule does not work on cats.
- Don’t drink before 5 (and don’t do different time zones, like “I think it’s 5 o’clock in London”).
- Schedule breaks just like you would take in an office.
- Don’t skip meals.
- Get moderate exercise. For me this usually meant taking a walk or bike ride.
- Be alert for loneliness and melancholy. If you feel these coming on, call a friend or schedule a lunch with someone.
- If you are a freelancer and you find the work slowing down and the phone not ringing, don’t fret. Use the time to develop new advertising for your services. Read Jay Conrad Levinson’s 1984 classic Guerrilla Marketing.
- Keep a notebook for organization. Write down ideas, phone numbers and work orders.
- If you are a freelancer, get a real website that showcases your work. Make it easy for people to contact you.
These are my rules, but I’m sure I’ve forgotten things. What do you do to survive working at home?
A Small Blue Marble 
These are really helpful things to keep in mind, Syd. Thank you. Maintaining a routine is indeed very important.
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For me it’s important both to set deadlines and yet be flexible with them.
Not necessarily an easy tension to manage, but it’s key (as you say) to self-impose structure to the day and be gentle with myself when that sometimes crumbles.
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Yes. For a number of years I still had my kids at home. You can’t be too rigid with kids around. The routine structure has become more important since I retired because suddenly ALL of the structure in my life went away. Example: these days I get up much earlier than I used to. But yes, you have to cut yourself some slack. It’s one of the benefits of working at home.
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This is a really great article. Thanks a ton. My wife’s classroom is talking about going completely online.
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It may seem trivial but I think you are right about getting dressed properly.These little things have a big effect
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I don’t get anything done in pajamas. It’s a mood thing, especially when I working.
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I lost a few days when I decided to have my breakfast before getting dressed.The next things it was 2 pm
So unless you are ill I feel getting washed and dressed is best.And when grieving too.As long as you get dressed and eat then whatever you can manage after that is ok
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