5 Ways to Improve Your Work from Home Routine

Now that the line between home and work has become rather blurred, new good habits are needed so we all don’t work too much—or too little. Here are key five points to help you stay organized, motivated and productive.

• Have a designated work space
• Ensure a work/life balance
• Take a break every 45 minutes for five minutes
• Establish a routine and stick to it
• Power down

Have a designated work space

If you can, transform a corner of your home into a designated work area. Make it comfortable so that you’ll enjoy spending time in it—ergonomic chair, proper lighting, plants, a corkboard, art—just like you would in an office cubicle. And be sure to have the necessary supplies like pens and notebooks on hand so that you’re not spending time looking for them around the house.

Ensure a work/life balance

If you’re working at the dining room table or on the kitchen island, keep your setup portable enough so that you can move the laptop and all work items into a drawer or cupboard or box come meal time. If your “office” is out of sight, it will be out of mind.

Take a break every 45 minutes for five minutes

Step away from the computer every hour to reset your brain. Use the five minutes to do a household chore—a quick vacuum, some dinner prep, throw in a load of laundry or empty the dishwasher. Your back gets a stretch, your mind a rest and your productivity a boost.

Establish a routine and stick to it

If you have children at home or a partner who is also working from home, develop a solid routine to help the day flow smoothly. If everyone knows what to expect and when, there will be no surprises, arguments or disappointments. Post a schedule if necessary. Give everyone daily responsibilities to fulfill with regard to cleaning, cooking and dog walking.

Power down

Once you’ve sent those last few emails for the day, shut down the computer. And if you can, turn off your phone, too. Working after dinner is a bad idea, because it makes for a fitful sleep. (Your employer may come to expect it, too.) Now that commuting to the office and driving to in-person meetings have dwindled, you have had less down time than you realize. Make up for this by taking the night off.

Review your policy

If you’re working from home and require additional insurance to cover your laptop, computer or other office equipment, speak with a licenced CAA Insurance Agent to ensure you have the right coverage to meet your needs.

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