Now that COVID-19 is starting to reach its peak in the US, in the coming days, many of you will be working (or studying) from home, if you haven’t started already. I wanted to take a minute to share some of the helpful things I’ve learned during my many years as a freelance designer.

I understand that being able to work from home is a privilege that not everyone has the ability to do so. For those who can, we absolutely should and allow the space/social distance to those in industries who can’t. I’m no longer in a freelance position, but my company has been amazingly flexible and understanding of current concerns about the rapid spread of the virus, and has been amazing at extending remote access to all employees.

If you’re new to working remotely, check out some of my favorite tips for a successful and productive work at home experience that I honed over nearly 10 years as a freelancer below!

1. Have a Dedicated Workspace

This is most freelancers and companies #1 Tip for working from home and with good reason. Having a dedicated workspace will help eliminate distractions and tell your brain this space is only for working, not for watching TV or sleeping…

That doesn’t mean that you have to have a full-blown office or studio to work, but even just relocating to a desk or the kitchen table can make all the difference!

You can surround yourself with house plants and a nice candle or diffuser to put yourself in the right headspace.

Create your space so you can create!

2. Stick to a Schedule

Depending on your company’s policy, one of the most glorious things about working from home is creating a schedule that works for YOU. Your company may still require you to work typical 9-5 hours, but if you’re actually more productive at 6 am, do that! If you need to get some personal things done in the middle of the day and would prefer to make up work time later in the evening, more power to you! So long as you get your work done, you can make your work schedule fit into your lifestyle.

But what you shouldn’t do is completely disregard your responsibilities and slack off. You’re still expected to get work done and you don’t want to lose the privilege of working remotely!

On the flip side, just because you’re working from home, it doesn’t mean you also have to be working 24/7. Setting boundaries and “logging off” is equally as important so you don’t get burned out. Balance is key.

3. Get Organized

Take some time to get organized, both physically and digitally. I’m not the cleanest person, but I have a hard time focusing if I’m surrounded by too much clutter. Put away the papers and receipts on your desk, toss those crappy pens that no longer work, and take out the trash.

If you have more time you could do a total overhaul of your entire space, but even just the daily tidy-up is immensely helpful.

Digital clutter is equally as distracting. Use this time and take a moment to back up files, update the software that keeps nudging you to do so, clear out old photos from your phone (this is a big one for me!) and delete all those spam emails.

4. Take a Break

Just like you would while working on-site, it’s so important to take breaks. The beauty of working from home is your break can also include doing a full workout sesh, taking the dog for a walk, doing a plank, getting some laundry done, sitting on your front porch with a freshly brewed cup of coffee.. the at-home world is your oyster!

One of my old client’s used to refer to this time as his “mental clarity” break, and I think it’s so necessary. Even if your break is only 10 minutes, getting some time away from screens is a relief.

Not to mention, physical activity is such a wonderful way to work off some of the stress you may be feeling during these uncertain times.

5. Eat a Real Meal

I like to take full advantage of the fact that when I’m home I can use the entire kitchen full of equipment, and not have to wait in line to use the microwave! Take the opportunity while you have it to eat healthy, whole foods. You’ll feel fuller longer and be less likely to snack out of boredom.

Not to mention, you can eat as much broccoli, fish and popcorn as you want without the worry of irritating your co-workers!

6. Upgrade a Skill

If you’re waiting for feedback or have an open afternoon, instead of killing time binging another show on Netflix, why not learn a new skill? Here are some ideas:

Take a tour of new features on your latest operating system or program that you usually ignore because you don’t have time.
Watch a quick How-To video on Youtube
Sign up for a MasterClass or Skillshare and really dive deep into something new!
Download DuoLingo and start learning a new language. I’m learning Japanese and I really like the app!
Check out Phlearn and learn how to edit your insta photos like the pros.
Get inspired on Pinterest
Sign up for a 30-Day challenge. It could be to improve your photography, hand-lettering, cooking, drawing, workout ability, whatever you’re into, there’s a challenge for that!

7. Create your Perfect Playlist

I’m nearly always listening to something when I work. It’s pretty rare that I don’t have at least a “chill” playlist playing softly in the background unless I really need to concentrate. Most of the time though, I’m listening to podcasts or audiobooks. I’ve listed out some of my favs below!

Podcasts I Love:
1. Criminal - For the true crime junkie!
2. Lore - If you’re into the supernatural, this is for you
3. Heartbroken - Real stories by real people who’ve gone through heartbreak with a MN connection by local DJ Falen from KDWB
4. Bear Brook - Another true-crime story that actually gets solved at the end!
5. The Two Princes - A short fantasy story by Gimlet that takes a twist on your typical heroine quest story. Also, if you’re into short stories, Gimlet has a ton and I haven’t been disappointed yet!

Audiobooks:
1. The Harry Potter series
Honestly, I’ve listened to these books so many times I’ve lost count! Jim Dale is by far the best reader/actor and brings all the characters to life in a way others just can’t replicate

2. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
I really loved this book. The 80’s nerd references are amazing and it’s a fun story about the ultimate video game challenge. The movie just didn’t really do the book justice!

3. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
If you’re in the mood for a good thriller with a major plot twist, this is the book for you. Read by two British actors, The Silent Patient is a psychological thriller of a woman's act of violence against her husband―and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.

4. High Achiever by Tiffany Jenkins
A true story about one women’s addiction and recovery from opioids.

5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
This book series was made into a show a couple of years ago, but as usual, the books are better. A mixture of fantasy and ancient mythology, the hero of the story goes on an epic road trip across America with a God.

Chill Spotify Playlists - Already made so you don’t have to!
1. Chill Vibes
2. Feel Good Indie Rock
3. Godspeed You! Black Emperor Radio
4. White Noise (11 Hours) - Literally just hours upon hours of white noise
5. Hanging Out and Relaxing

Want to add to the list? Comment below with your suggestions!

8. Stay Connected

Just because you’re working from home and practicing social distancing, doesn’t mean you have to feel isolated.

There are so many tools to stay connected virtually like Slack, Google Drive, Skype, Join.Me, etc. just to name a few. You really shouldn’t have any problems to continue working and meeting virtually.

This is also a great reminder to take a moment to find people or companies you want to connect with on Linked-In. It’s a resource I don’t regularly use, but it’s full of wonderful business-related articles and of course, people in similar fields as you.

And as always, if you really need clarity about a project or just want to hear a friendly voice, your team is just a phone call away.

9. Clean Up your Inbox

As I stated above, digital clutter can be so distracting, and missing an important email from your boss or a potential job because it got lost amongst thousands of unopened emails is a NO-GO!

Delete those unnecessary emails. Even better, unsubscribe from companies or services you don’t use. Sometimes I find myself deleting the same emails every day and I have to be like, WTF am I doing, just unsubscribe!

It’s also a great time to go through your social accounts and unfollow or unfriend those toxic accounts you just don’t need in your life.

10. Look on the Bright Side!

Remember, for most of the people and companies working remotely, this is a temporary situation, so why not make the most of it! Think about all the time and money you’ll be saving by not driving to work every day, and eating all your meals at home. Not to mention, you don’t have to wear pants if you don’t want to, lol.

Personally, I love working from home. I love the flexibility it brings and I’m usually a lot calmer when I don’t have to deal with people, traffic and constant interruptions. I find myself actually working more hours than I typically do because I find it easier to focus and I can work in breaks when I need them and not just because I’m sick of being at my desk. Maybe it’s also because I spent more years working outside of an office than in one, (and am a bit of an introvert) so I may be a little bit biased.. haha.

I really hope more companies realize how possible and productive telecommuting can be! How many meetings can become an email? How long do you chit-chat before you actually get down to business? How many hours of desk time will you get back when you don’t spend your day running from meeting to meeting…maybe after all this madness, there are some good things that can come out of working differently!