Work that works for you

Diggin’ the sweet setup we’ve got going on in the photo? I snapped this shot last Friday, and believe it or not, zero staging was involved. Jared and I went back home to visit my family for a few days, and while my little brother and sister were at school and my dad was at work, this is how Jared, my mom and I made productive use of our time. Can you feel the love?

I actually took the photo for a few reasons. First, I thought the love of Mac-ness was pretty photo worthy. (Aside from my dad and sister, we’re a bunch of Apples. Har, har.) Second, it perfectly illustrated my personal motto of working where it suits you.

About 90 percent of my working time is spent at home, which can be super convenient and super tricky. It’s convenient because you can go to work in your pajamas. It’s tricky because you can stay in your pajamas — all day long. I tried the PJ uniform for a few weeks last year when I started working on the research-from-home component of my thesis. After a few weeks of being incredibly unproductive (not to mention a few weeks of embarrassment every time Jared came home for lunch to find me exactly where he left me nearly four hours earlier), I needed a new system. So now every morning I wake up, go for a run, get ready and get to work. I’ve started the day feeling like I’ve accomplished something and gone somewhere — even if the only miles I’ve made are by foot.

Now that I’ve officially passed the year mark as a work-from-homer, I thought I’d share some nuggets of wisdom I’ve gleaned along the way. If days are dragging and you can’t seem to get anything done, maybe it’s time to reinvent your system to help stay motivated. Believe me, you are not alone. Here are my top tips for work-from-home happiness:

1. Know what works for you: I come from a family with four kids and a mom who’s liable to burst into song at any moment (I had to inherit that from somewhere, right?). So I’m used to working though noise and chaos. In fact, I thrive on it and have a terrible time getting anything done in a quiet, non-distracting space. So I regularly jam to music for holidays that are months away and watch TV shows I’m probably too old for — and I’m more productive because of it. Jared, on the other hand, is an only child, and his supreme work environment is a dark, quiet, empty room, where classical music (the depressing, strings-and-piano kind that makes me feel like crying) plays softly in the background — on repeat.

Oooph. Needless to say, we won’t be sharing an office any time soon. It is important, however, that we know what works for us. I can’t be productive in his space, and he can’t be productive in mine. But we can’t knock each another for our differing methods of madness. And you shouldn’t knock yourself for yours.

2. Know what doesn’t work for you: It’s the flip-flop of the previous tip, but it’s important nonetheless. One common mistake among the work-from-home crowd is trying to meld into a routine, work station or timetable that doesn’t work for you. One of the greatest things about working from home is the flexibility of schedule, so if you work best in the afternoons, why would you try to get everything done in the morning? Similarly, if you regularly conk out around 3 p.m., then wake up early and get to work instead of saving your to-dos for the end of the day.

This tip also addresses the issue of distractions. Even the most undistractable folks can be distracted by something. For me it’s phone calls. And texts. And e-mails from J.Crew.

Sometimes removing distractions is part of knowing what doesn’t work for you. This might mean turning off your e-mail during your most productive hours of the day, screening your phone calls or turning off the TV. Whatever it is, if it isn’t working, it isn’t working for you.

3. Establish a work station — even if you rarely use it: I recently redid my beloved desk area (more about that mini-makeover coming soon!) and now find myself using it way more than I did before. That being said, I’m not a desk-exclusive worker. In fact, I probably do about half of my work from random perches in the apartment (couch, bed, floor, kitchen counter). That’s all fine and dandy, but there are definitely times when I need a work-centric zone, and that’s where this tip comes into practice. Your kitchen is the place where you want to eat, so why not make your desk the place where you want to work? Perhaps science-y folks have a brain-chemistry-related explanation for this concept. In any case, I think it’s worth giving a whirl. At the very least, it gives you a designated place for your stuff.

Here’s hoping your work-from-home setup is helping to keep those creative juice flowing. If you have any tips for the home office crowd, I’d love to hear about them!

XO,
Katrina