Do You Work from Home? Motivational Tips and Tricks (from Those in the Know!)

If, like me, you didn't want the long Bank Holiday weekend to end here in the UK, you no doubt uttered an audible groan last Tuesday morning at the prospect of another working week. Just where did the Bank Holiday go? It already seems a lifetime away!

I spent a lovely weekend with my sister, brother-in-law and nephews on the south coast (swimming, visiting the Sealife Centre, eating fish and chips and generally larking about in the garden with a three and 18-month-year-old) and I can safely say I've never been less enthusiastic about the weekend ending.

Trampolining with my nephew. No, I didn't want to come home and get back to work either...

As a freelance writer, I rarely work a 9 to 5 day, but while making your own schedule and working from home has its pros, like anything, it also has a fair few cons - motivation, or lack thereof, being the biggest.

I'm a new home worker, so to help other folk out like me, I turned to the folk (you may recognise them) who've been doing it a lot longer for some tips and tricks to making the most of your working day. Even if you're just lacking a bit of mojo when it comes to doing a spot of blogging from home after work, this might be just what you're looking for.

El from money-saving A Thrifty Mrs (if you don't subscribe to her blog, whatcha waiting for?!) is a Queen of Tips, which meant she was a perfect choice for this feature.

The oh so stylish El

When she's not saving money, she's thinking up weird and wonderful ways to organise herself and her life by saving time and space.

Here's El's top tips for home workers:

Mrs Thrifty keeps a ship shape office, too. Tres jealous!

El's Top Tips

* Whilst it's easy to fall into a pattern of working on the sofa in your pyjamas, I really recommend having a shower and getting a shower and getting dressed down to shoes, properly every day. I know it sounds basic, but most freelancers I know fall into the pyjama/sofa pattern at one stage or another and it can be a hard one to get out of.

Mmm slipper socks and PJs. This is all too tempting, says El. Pic: We Heart It

* Try and find a desk space if you can, even if it is just the dining room table to a charity shop £10 jobbie. It will make for a more professional environment and it can be far better for concentration than slobbing out on the sofa

My dream office space. Pic: Pinterest

* Working all hours and making yourself ill because you're working too many hours is a common downfall of freelancers. I used to check my email in bed, roll out to my desk, stay there until 7 or 8pm and the check my emails on my phone until I fell asleep. It became an unproductive pattern for me and I started to hate freelance.

Once I resolved to pick suitable working hours and stick to them, my quality of life (not just my working life) changed dramatically.

El says set working hours - and stick to them. Pic: We Heart It

* Try and get out of the house at least once a day. I make sure I go for a walk without my phone for half an hour at some point during the day. I also try my very best to arrange two to three meetings outside of my usual environment per week, just for a change of scene and to speak to other human beings.

El advises a spot of fresh air each day. Pic: We Heart It


Fellow freelance copywriter Emma Cossey knows only too well what it's like to work from home. She keeps up her lifestyle blog, offering advice to likeminded writers on the pros and cons of working for yourself, as well as writing copy for a range of national brands.

The lovely Emma

Emma's Top Tips

* Keep healthy! When you work from home, you inevitably get less exercise, purely because you don't have to commute to work. However, you're now more flexible with times, which means you can pop to the gym at  quieter times in the day or go for a lunch time walk. A healthy body (and diet) means a healthy brain - essential if you work on your own

Promote productivity by eating the right foods, says Emma. Pic: We Heart It

* Connect with others working from home. I think I'd go a bit crazy if I didn't know I could email/Skype/Tweet other working from home types during the day. I've mainly got to know them through Twitter or networking, and they really are brilliant. In fact, many of them are in the Homeworking UK LinkedIn Group. Drop in and have a chat!

Stay connected while you're working from home. Pic: We Heart It

* My main advice would be that if working from home suits you, do it! There are lots of judgements about working from home (assumptions that you're not really doing anything, spend all day in your pjs and mess about on the Internet), but having control of your time and work is completely liberating - and can lead to some amazing opportunities

My Tips

I've been freelancing full-time for all of a few months, but here's a few tips I've tried to stick to so far

* Get organised! It may seem like a no-brainer, but if you're setting up freelance for the first time, I've found it really pays to make your initial day or two 'organisational days'. Set your office up how you like it, plan a system whereby you keep track of works and invoices (I like Excel) and set up a clear 'to do' list or schedule for each day

Ah, to have a to do list like this. Pic: We Heart It

* As Emma suggested, I've found it really helps if I keep in touch with people throughout the day - whether that's clients or just friends or family. It can be a bit mind-numbing sitting inside all day (I REALLY miss the office banter), so just setting aside some time to chat to someone to break your day up a little really helps

* El is spot on when she suggested taking time out to get out of the house. I've found this really beneficial when I'm sick of seeing the same four walls all day.

A big thank you to my special guests - El of A Thrifty Mrs and Emma Cossey; it's been an absolute pleasure, ladies!

Do you work from home? Are you considering going freelance? What are your top tips for staying sane while working on your own? I'd love to hear them!