Work From Home Without Tearing Your Hair Out Or Breaking Your Budget

How to work from home without tearing your hair out!

Do you suddenly need to work from home more consistently than ever before? Especially if this transition was not one that you choose, it can feel like a challenge to suddenly adjust. As with any transition though, there are also opportunities for growth and discovery if you look for them. And even if it does feel stressful, don’t panic ~ We’ve got your back!

Below are five expert tips from a professional home organizer to help you get organized to work from home without tearing your hair out.

Five mindful steps to work from home efficiently and joyfully

1. Get Organized To Work Efficiently At Home (even on a budget!)

Below are a few clever solutions for organizing your office supplies and your paper files on a budget while working from home.

You can use boxes from Amazon or anywhere else to create temporary systems to work from home, even if you need to work from your kitchen table.

In the picture below, an Amazon shipping box has been repurposed to hold file folders. The box will need to be at least 12 inches wide, though it can be wider. I suggest that it be at least 6-7 inches high so that the files will stay upright. In the image below, the books are used to create structure and hold the files upright.

In the picture below, the very same box (which is 9.5″ deep x 13″ wide x 7.5″ high) can also accommodate basic office supplies such as pencils, pens, highlighter, a pair of scissors, etc. We used a water glass to hold the supplies, as that is what was available. If you have an unbreakable glass or container, that would be preferable, especially if you plan to transport the “filing system.”

Don’t have a box this size? No worries! A larger box can also be used ~ you may just need more books or other available household products. The box in the image below is 12.5 x 14″ and measures 9″ high. Get creative and use your imagination. If you have kids at home, get them involved in helping you solve your filing problem and teach them the value of creative organizing. Perhaps there are containers in a child’s playroom that can be borrowed for your mobile home office.

2. Get Clarity on Your Work From Home Requirements

If you have occasionally worked from home then you will be able to make the transition to working full-time at home much more easily. You may need to focus your energy on establishing clear boundaries and creating work from home “office hours.”

But you definitely should not need a huge budget to create a functional work from home space. And as I love to say “Do your best for now and make it better later.”

The basics you will need are a chair, a surface (which can be a kitchen table) a phone and your computer or tablet. Do spend a little time making your new work from home space as comfortable as possible.

If you are new to working from home, download our Free Printable Checklist in google drive if you would like support in getting clear about your needs. Or simply brainstorm using a piece of paper or a digital tool such as Asana or Trello.

3. Establish Your Work From Home “Office Hours”

If you are not mindful when working at home, the days run together and the concept of the weekend slips away. If you have children at home who require your support to complete their school assignments, you will want to factor that into deciding when your “office hours” should be. Do you need to perform tasks that involve calling or interacting with organizations that are only open Monday through Friday? If so, you will want to have at least some office hours during those times.

One of my virtual organizing clients who normally offers massage decided that even though she is home all of the time right now, she wants to maintain the structure of having a weekend for herself. We identified some tasks that she wishes to do 7 days a week, such as yoga, meditation, cooking, and exercise, and others that she will include in her daily routine Monday through Friday, such as bookkeeping and decluttering and organizing.

Another virtual organizing client has his daughter with him four days out of the week. He is a school teacher so his work at home lesson planning schedule and his food preparation plan is centered around whether his daughter will be with him or not. Together we created a two-week meal plan to make shopping easier and reduce his stress around being able to make meals that his daughter will enjoy. He also found that having a meal plan saved money by cutting down on shopping trips as he was able to by the items needed for the entire meal plan during one shopping trip.

To create your work at home game plan, reflect on days and times that you believe will be good times to be focused to do your work (even if they are not 9-5 weekdays) and make a tentative plan.

Be sure to consult with others in your household if needed. Share your plan with other household members and then try out your plan and see if it works.

Consider yourself very lucky if your first plan works without a hitch. 🙂 Any new routine will usually require some adjustments. Be prepared to consult with others in your household or with other professionals to work out the kinks in your office hour plans.

4. Be Gentle With Yourself And Others

When you and your household are in transition, it is easy for people to become impatient and for clear and compassionate communication to break down. During this time of heightened fear and uncertainty, it is critical to build in time for self-care and encourage others in your household to do the same.

If communication becomes tense, you may find it helpful to use compassionate communication tools to reduce tension in the household.

5. Create Clear Boundaries

When we spend long periods of time together under one roof, it is essential for everyone to learn how to create and respect individual boundaries. Explain to family members or others in your household that you will be more able to spend more time with them joyfully if you are able to complete your work efficiently and without interruptions.

Sticking to clear boundaries when working from home is mostly an inside job. Once YOU are committed to managing your time and priorities in a way that allows you to finish up on time consistently, others in the household will be more likely to honor the boundaries that you have requested from them.

And every space in your home needs cleaning from time to time! For expert tips on how to clean your office efficiently check out this helpful and comprehensive article from Redfin with tips from lots of experts (including me!)

In summary, The first step to creating productive systems to work from home joyfully is to get clear on your needs. Then you will want to determine the best ways and times to do your work in order to meet the needs of your household. It may be important to establish some clear boundaries with other household members about when you cannot be disturbed and how to contact you if they really need your support.

And remember, making sure that working from home works for you is an inside job! And if you ever feel stuck, we are here to help!

YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE!

Being a small business owner working from home can be especially challenging during times of transition (expected or unexpected!)

Schedule a complimentary 20-minute Zoom to chat about the many ways we can support you (no matter what your budget is!)