How to Stay Focused & Productive While Working From Home

Working from home is a blessing and a gift, truly. I know when you’re juggling wife/mom/home/work life all from the same space, it can get a little tricky. But I believe a good work/life rhythm is completely possible!

I’ve been self-employed for nearly a decade, and I’ve found the easiest way to balance the WAH (work at home) life is by implementing a few hard and fast rules.

1. Commit to work hours as much as possible.

I know that not every day looks the same, and emergencies can come up. Last minute doctor’s appointments, sick kiddos, a conference call that runs long, or a customer issue that takes most of your day. However, you’re entitled to working within the hours that work best for your lifestyle. I work 9am - 1pm Monday-Friday, and I rarely sit at my desk or actively commit to work on weekends. You’d be surprised how much you can get done with short spurts of intentional time every single day. Four hours of focused time (even with full time responsibilities) is typically adequate for me.

2. Learn to say no.

If it’s not a resounding “yes” to someone or something, it’s a definite “no.” You have to be able to discipline your responsibilities, not just for yourself but to manage the expectations from others. For example, I only book studio sessions on weekdays at 11 am. I don’t shoot weekends, travel, or evenings. That time is reserved for my resounding “yes.”

3. What needs done, should be done, and what can wait?

These are the three questions I ask myself every morning once my kiddos are off to school for the day.

• What needs done? What is due today? What meetings/calls/emails are priority?

• What should I do? Work out? Throw a load of laundry in the wash? Schedule follow up emails or blog posts? Edit a session to get on top of it for the week?

• And finally, what can wait? What could get done today but isn’t anywhere on my priority list? Usually, this is a list of errands that need run, but none are emergent or imminent. These are my “if I have time” tasks, and I allow myself a lot of grace in this department.

4. Turn off notifications on your phone.

I don’t know who made us believe the lie that we have to be available to everyone, all the time. This is not true. I have zero alerts and notifications active on my phone. No emails, no Facebook messages, no Instagram notifications. I commit my responses to these during my business hours. The last thing I ever want is for my husband or kids to feel that their needs aren’t my priority and that my phone is more important than them.

5. Delegate.

Working from home (especially as a wife and mom) means you subconsciously (or maybe even consciously) accept the daily housework as your responsibility as well. This? Not true. You’re working during the day, during those set hours, and you have to let go of the belief that since you’re home, housework has to be balanced during the day while you’re working.

How do I manage this? I delegate the housework! We have a housekeeper that comes twice a week, my husband does most of the laundry, our kids have a plethora of chores that are expected on a daily basis, and grocery delivery saves my life regularly! You don’t have to do it all. Remember that.

6. Be self-disciplined.

This is a toughie! To be disciplined enough to be successful at this WAH life, you must be willing to be self-disciplined. You must be willing to work on the days you feel tired or overwhelmed, that you commit to your office hours every day, so you can be proud of yourself and what you’re building. I know it’s easy to get lazy and full of excuses because it’s so easy to take the day off when you have no one to answer to.

Remember-- what we do today sets the stage for 12 months from now. What do you want life to look like next year? Are you self-disciplined enough to work every day to get there?

7. Don’t forget, it’s fun!

The freedom to work from home is supposed to be fun. Be a good boss to yourself! Work doesn’t always have to be stuck behind a computer or late nights ignoring family and friends. Can a business meeting be a brunch with your girlfriends that you collaborate with? Then by all means, do that! Can you combine a business trip with a weekend getaway with your spouse? Absolutely!

Enjoy your job, enjoy your passion. Be the best boss to yourself you possibly can. Burn out is too quick an easy, especially when the responsibility rests solely on you. Don’t forget, you’re allowed to have fun at work!