The Do’s and Don’ts to Follow that Will Make You a Productive and Reliable Remote Employee  

Working from home is all the rage among today’s top companies and employees of all ages. And it is totally great…right up until the point that the dog throws up, a sink full of dirty dishes somehow guilts you into washing them at 10:45 a.m., and a daytime TV show sucks you in because you just have to know “who did it?”  All on the same day.

I have been working from home for about a year and a half, and if managed right, I find it ultimately peaceful, freeing and rewarding. But those benefits don’t come easy, and strict discipline is a must in a world where your laptop and the laundry room are equidistant from your couch. In the “office office,” your coworkers are the greatest threat keeping you from getting your work done – but in your home office, the list is ever-growing, and you can easily become your own worst enemy.

Having your personal space double as your workspace can be dangerous and distracting, but if you follow my below tips of do’s, don’ts and definitely not’s, you may find that working from home is highly productive and enjoyable:

Do’s of Doing Work at Home

• Get Started Early: Working from home, I set an alarm every day, put on a pot of coffee and get started right away. This is not a Saturday! It is not time for lounging on the couch – head right to the office!
• Stick to a Routine: I like to start my day as if I was going to the office. I get up, go for a morning run, take a shower and get ready for the day — just as if I were going into the office (sans the uncomfortable pencil skirt and pumps). Getting into a routine and sticking to it is the number one rule when working from home.
• Choose a Dedicated Workspace: Whether this is a home office, or a corner coffee shop, designate a space that is your work space. Whatever you do – do not work from the couch or the dining room table. This is the danger zone with distractions lingering around every corner, and the rule is, stay away from all distractions (this means no TVs or pets).
• Take Breaks: Just because you work from home does not mean that you need to work all day long. You would not do this in an office, so don’t feel the need to do it at home. Instead, take an hour lunch break and a fifteen-minute coffee break every few hours. No need to overwork yourself just because you are at your house.
• Use Technology to Stay Connected: Try Google Hangouts or Facetime meetings with employees at the office. This keeps you connected to everybody at work and makes you feel more involved with the rest of the company.

Don’ts of Doing Work at Home

• Do not keep a TV in your home office: Limit distractions! A TV might sound like a good idea at first, because you want to watch the news while you work on your to-do list, but the news turns in to cooking shows, which turns into daytime TV. Don’t do it.
• Don’t allow family members to become distractions: Communicate expectations with anyone who will be home with you. If anyone else is going to be at home when you’re working, they just have to be clear that when you’re in your ‘’office,” you’re working — even if it looks like and feels like you’re hanging out at home. It’s easy to get distracted by the many things that have to be done around the house.
• That said, don’t shut yourself off from humans: All that time at home may make you crazy. Go outside and find a human to interact with — ordering your coffee, running an errand, whatever. It keeps you sane.
• Don’t take personal calls while working: If you wouldn’t do it in the office office during work hours, don’t do it in your home office. Save your personal calls for after hours.

The (Definitely!) Don’ts of Doing Work at Home

• Do not handle housework during “work hours”: It may sound like a fine idea to get some laundry done in between work tasks. DON’T! It is a trap! Chores will suck you in, and you will get totally off-task. 
• Don’t slide into disorganization: Be sure to create a highly functioning office space with everything that you need (or would normally have) in an office office. Printers, computers, cork boards, filing cabinets…whatever it may be! An organized work space is key.
• Don’t procrastinate: Just because you are working from home does not mean that you should save a project due at 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. the night before. Set goals to get all of your work done during normal working hours, just as you would if you worked in a cubicle, and were out the door by 6 p.m. at the latest. When the rest of your family gets home from their day, I can guarantee you, you will not be able  to – or want to — go back to working at 8 p.m. when there is a list of other obligations to handle.