10 In-Depth Tips for Creating a Great Work-From-Home Routine

As businesses continue to offer work-from-home opportunities, employees gain more freedom to pursue flexible schedules that suit their lifestyles. People who work from home can develop habits that help them increase their efficiency and job satisfaction. If you're interested in working from home, knowing how to create a routine can help you stay productive, maintain focus and feel positive while working.

In this article, we discuss why a schedule is essential for working from home, list tips for setting a work-from-home routine and explain how to create your own.

Why is it important to have a routine when working from home?

Working from home allows you to establish a customized schedule and take breaks as needed, but it's often important to create innovative ways to manage your time effectively. An established routine helps you complete your work in a timely manner, establish boundaries with others who may live with you and remain efficient.

Simultaneously, you finish your tasks and eliminate potential distractions, such as phone calls or watching television. A routine also helps professionals produce consistent work and avoid long periods of being unproductive.

Related: 11 Time Management Tips for Working From Home

10 tips for creating a work-from-home routine

An important aspect of an effective work-from-home routine is balancing your personal and professional lives. Here are 10 in-depth tips you can implement as you create a work-from-home routine to ensure you maintain a healthy work-life balance:

1. Limit distractions

One way you can maintain your work-from-home routine is to limit your distractions. Within your home you can create a dedicated workspace, silence your phone, close unnecessary computer tabs and clean or organize the desk or table you use. You can also limit your distractions outside work by creating a business phone number that's separate from your personal phone number and communicating boundaries with your colleagues and loved ones.

2. Use the work-from-home advantages

There are several advantages to working from home. First, you have time to do household chores, which gives you the ability to focus on your work without worrying about what's happening in your home throughout the day.

Second, you can control your schedule, helping you identify your most productive times. Finally, you can create boundaries between your work and your off-times, helping you stay focused during the workday.

3. Practice self-care

Self-care is when you do the things that help you feel your best each day. When you work from home, you can prioritize self-care in several ways. First, you can ensure you meet each of your needs before you start work. Then you can continue meeting your needs throughout the day.

For example, you can cook meals and bathe in the middle of the day, instead of in the morning or at night. Finally, you can control your work environment by playing music or doing other things that help you focus.

4. Find your productivity triggers

Your productivity triggers are tasks or event that help you be productive throughout the day. For some people, this can include getting dressed, setting SMART goals, waking up at the same time every day and taking breaks throughout the day. These triggers may also include eating meals, prioritizing some tasks over others and leaving your home occasionally.

5. Socialize with others

When you work from home, you may socialize less with your colleagues. This can lead to fatigue for some people. Practice socializing both with your colleagues and with your loved ones and friends so you can continue to get the social interaction you need for success.

You can attend work events, go on trips and make friends you see regularly. When you use this to connect with colleagues, you can also communicate your boundaries and continue to communicate even after the event is over, helping you remain connected to them throughout your work and career.

6. Find training opportunities

Training opportunities can help you connect with your work in new ways. Since you work from home, finding these opportunities may be harder than when you work from other locations, since you may not have the same connections. Research your own training opportunities and use those to develop your skills and career.

7. Change your location

Another way you can increase your productivity is by changing your location occasionally. This includes moving to another room in your home and finding a public area where you can work effectively.

Remember, if you're using a public area to get a VPN you protect your personal data and the data you use for your work. Changing your location can help you reset your mind and feel refreshed since you don't have to look at the same space every day.

8. Consider your long-term goals

When you work from home, you may have long-term goals you can fulfill. These may include both professional and personal goals you use to grow and progress. Consider whether your space meets your needs or if you need to change it so you can pursue long-term goals. You can also consider if you can work from home for a long period or if you only want to do it occasionally.

9. Do the same amount of work

If you work from home and from an office or other business location, ensure you do the same amount of work in both locations. This includes completing the same amount of tasks and developing practices to ensure they take about the same time to complete.

This also includes taking sick time when you're sick, even if you're working from home. Using this time allows you to practice self-care and setting boundaries with your colleagues.

10. Create an end-of-day routine

An end-of-day routine is a way to relax after you finish your work. This can include leaving your workspace, doing fun activities and removing your mental state from your work. This is important when you work from home because the spaces can blend, making it a challenge to separate your home from your work. To overcome this, step away from your work and set a time when you no longer check messages or do more work tasks.

Related: How To Work From Home

Ways to create an effective work-from-home routine

Here are some steps you can follow to create an effective routine while working from home:

Discover the times of day you're most productive

Some professionals discover that they're more effective at finishing time-consuming tasks in the morning. In contrast, others may prefer to spend the morning completing smaller tasks that require less effort, such as replying to emails or reading articles relevant to your industry to remain updated on trends.

If you have more energy in the mornings, consider completing more challenging tasks when you begin work for the day. If you typically require time to gain energy after beginning work, it may be more beneficial to handle smaller tasks instead.

When you work from home, you often possess more work flexibility that allows you to establish a routine that's ideal for you. If you're not sure what time of day is optimal to complete a task, consider altering your schedule throughout a workweek to find the most suitable time for your daily responsibilities.

Related: How To Work Effectively From Home in 24 Unique Ways

Make a schedule

Another helpful method for creating an effective work-from-home routine is to use a paper calendar or a calendar app on your phone, computer or tablet to plan your schedule for each day. Try to decide the time when you want to start and stop working each day if your employer doesn't provide you with an established daily schedule.

Then, consider listing the tasks you want to complete throughout the day and the times in which you want to complete them. For example, you may plan that between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., you aim to work on your highest priority project for the day.

Also, consider when your colleagues are typically available to answer questions if you have a collaborative project to complete. It may also be important to factor virtual meetings with others into your schedule, as well.

Related: 38 Companies That Hire Work-From-Home Employees

Establish a conducive workspace

An effective way to encourage productivity is to create a workplace that eliminates distractions. It's often helpful to clean your work area—whether that's a table or a desk—and place anything you require for work within reach. Consider also organizing your workspace and setting up your equipment so all of your materials are easy to access.

An ergonomic work area, which is an environment designed for comfort and efficiency, can help you focus and prevent injury or strain. If possible, leave some curtains open to allow sunlight to enter your work area and ensure you have water nearby to remain hydrated and healthy.

Related: How To Stay Organized When You Work at Home

Create to-do lists with priorities

Another helpful method for developing an effective routine is to write your tasks, including recurring responsibilities, and tier each one based on their importance. You can develop your own system to symbolize each task's importance or use a common format, such as ranking tasks from one to five. This allows you to determine which of your tasks requires the most attention.

Once you have a full list of prioritized tasks, you can also add some of these tasks to your schedule for each workday or week. Scheduling your to-do list ensures you have enough time to complete your tasks.

Read more: How To Make a Productive To-Do List (With Benefits and Tips)

Reevaluate as needed

As you implement methods that allow you to work from home effectively, you may discover that the schedule or routine you created requires updating. To ensure that your routine remains updated, consider altering the timing for some of your tasks or rearranging your schedule completely.

Working from home allows you the freedom to change the way you work without disrupting others. For example, you may find that some background noise helps you focus or taking a break to walk outside boosts your productivity.

As you learn the ideal patterns for your work-from-home routine, try to update it to suit your needs. You may also make changes based on your employer's policies or scheduling.