Dyman Associates Group Of Companies - Five Sanity-Saving Tips

Going Nuts Working From Home? Five Sanity-Saving Tips

The idea of working from home always sounds most alluring to those who have never actually done it: no commutes, flexible schedule, no coworkers lurking behind your back when you’re online planning your next golf trip. And with ObamaCare eliminating the shackles between full-time employment and health insurance, there’s never been greater temptation to cut the office cord and strike out on your own. But I have a strong feeling that the following scenario may sound all too familiar to those of you drafting copy, creating code, and navigating the business world from the supposed comfort of your living rooms.

You wake up in the morning, maybe eat some breakfast, say goodbye to your girlfriend, wife, kids, or roommate. Then, oh no, what do you do? The silence in your house mocks you. Your day sits in front of you as empty (and scary) as a blank screen to an author with writer’s block. Before you know it, it’s 3 p.m., you’re wearing whatever you slept in, you haven’t showered or accomplished a shred of work, and you’ve spent hours online comparing deals on moustache wax — when you don’t even have facial hair.

Here are five tips to help you maintain your sanity, be productive, and make working from home live up to your dreams:

Tip #1: Make a Schedule — and Actually Stick to It

Just because you don’t have a boss, doesn’t mean you don’t have to pretend you have someone to answer to. Every morning make a list of the most important items you need to do that day. Prioritize them. Enter them into your digital calendar. And then stick to the timeline as much as possible. Think to yourself (or say it aloud — why not?), “Yes, virtual boss, I will get that proposal written by 4 p.m.”

Tip #2: Take Breaks (and at Least One Shower)

This is a tough one. It’s all-too easy to jump out of bed and onto your laptop, get totally immersed, and then not move a muscle to eat, stretch, or breathe for the next eight hours. Don’t do it. Your creativity will suffer. Your body will ache. You

Emerge from your lair to greet the sun first thing and grab a coffee. Meet other human beings for lunch. Take an hour to hit the gym. And, for crying out loud, please remember to start your day with a shower.