5 Tips on How to Work From Home

Consider these tips from a remote work veteran on planning and productivity.

We've all seen the funny memes about couples who work from home and invent fictional co-workers to blame them for their bad behavior:

“Look, “Sam” left dishes in the sink again.”

You may be wondering what qualifies me to advise on this topic? My husband and I have both been working remotely full-time for the past five years, and we both have busy schedules with lots of presentations and tight deadlines, and lots of client calls, sales calls, and big projects. Over the years, I’ve learned some key lessons about how to make remote work work for both of us (in our house, controlling the thermostat is a real battle !).

That said, how do you balance working from home (and sticking to your job duties) when your partner is in the same situation? Here are some ideas on how to work productively when you’re under the same roof.

Discuss the ground rules

Working from home together may be a new reality for many couples, so it's important to discuss boundaries, such as where in the home you'll work and when.

If you are lucky enough to have a second floor or basement, consider working on different floors.

Discuss your schedule before the start of each day.

Do conference calls or WebEx meetings overlap?

Will one of you need to move to another room in the house or put on headphones or earbuds to stay productive during this time?

Do you need to “ration” or rotate bandwidth usage at home because you have multiple users (e.g., a student at home who needs to take “live” classes via a bandwidth-intensive video stream)?

Keep in mind that each of you will likely need quiet periods to complete your tasks, and schedule time to do so.

Make a schedule together

It is important to have a routine with established “office hours” – when you will start and end your work day

While it's tempting to start working when you wake up and continue well past your bedtime, stick to "office hours" and avoid keeping your computer open at all times.

You may find that it's beneficial to have the same routine as when you were physically working in the office each day − e.g. wake up, workout, drink coffee/eat breakfast, get ready and start work (without having to drive!)

Use the time you save by not commuting to spend with your family or to carve out some alone time, such as reading, meditating or exercising (or doing whatever else makes you happy).

Make a plan for who will care for the children/pets throughout the day

Don't forget to factor in child and pet care while trying to keep up with the tasks of your "day job."

If this is the case for you, establish a schedule (keeping in mind that it may change from day to day) that indicates who will take care of the children and animals, and could allow, among other things, alternating between the adults in the house.

If you have young children, do your best to create a separate workspace with a door (if the door is closed, no one else can come in)

Have a sign saying do not disturb

When you're suddenly called to work on an urgent project, take a call, or meet a deadline, have a signal to let your partner—who may enter your workspace for whatever reason—know that you can't be disturbed.

This signal can be communicated with body language (nodding your head, crossing your arms, giving him a meaningful look, waving him off, etc.) or a note saying “Do not disturb” or “Urgent” that you can show

Spend time together

Make time to spend as a couple, not as co-workers.

Check in on each other throughout the day, even if it's just a quick text message.

Meet face to face at least once a day

Schedule a dinner date, or a mid-afternoon break, and less screen time each day

Turn off your computer completely at a set time each evening

As you can see, it takes more than a high-speed internet connection and video conferencing to work effectively from home. That being said, start putting these tips into practice now to simplify your routine and increase your productivity.