10 essential working from home tips from experienced freelancers
Photo: Sincerely Media on Unsplash
Contributor: Ian Winterton is a freelance copywriter based in south-west France.
If you’re one of the thousands of people forced into home working by the Coronavirus outbreak, welcome to my world!
I’ve been working remotely for almost a decade and it’s taken years of trial and error to do things the right way. From staying productive, to maintaining healthy relationships with colleagues and clients, and even coping with isolation, working from home isn’t all sunshine, roses and Mr Kipling slices at 8am.
So if you’re new to this, I’d love to give you a few pointers. Follow them, and all the beautiful things about remote working will blossom: like having more freedom, flexibility and control – and a better work-life balance.
Don’t just take my word for these. Every tip is backed up by other experienced home workers, who’ve all featured on the Being Freelance podcast.
WORKING FROM HOME TIPS FROM EXPERIENCED FREELANCERS
TIP 1. Build good habits with a structured daily routine
On my first few days working from home, I felt like a captive animal that had been let back out into the wild. I was happy, but also a bit lost and disorientated. To make it work, I needed a framework, so I established set work hours to follow every day, had a standard time for lunch, and focused on sticking to it.
Having core hours works really well. It not only stops you getting side-tracked, it sets expectations with your employer or clients. So they won’t start thinking you’re available 24/7 just because you’re working from home.
Graphic designer Chad Michael is on the same page.
“I’m usually in the office around 8:30 or 9:00, dealing with emails and other odds and ends. Then I can get into fun design, new projects, new branding around noon, and I’ll usually work until 6:00,” he said. “I think routine is 100% necessary in workflow and getting your stuff done.”
(Listen to Chad’s episode)
Copywriter Prerna Malik agrees.
“We’ve got strong boundaries around our workdays.
“We protect those, which ensures that our work gets done. I'm super-focused when I'm working and ruthless about shutting down distractions when I need to work.”
Tip 2. Stay connected to work and people
Maintaining healthy relationships with clients, colleagues and bosses, does take a bit of work when you’re not seeing people face-to-face every day. But there are lots of great apps available that make it easy to communicate and stay part of the team. Putting in the time and effort to do this is great for both your mental health and professional performance.
Strategy consultant Jan Mikulin said:
“A lot of my business is conducted internationally, so we have conversations via digital means, like G Meets, or Skype, or Zoom, or FaceTime, or WhatsApp videos, or the plethora of tools that are out there to support that.”
Social media strategist Cathy Wassel added:
“For my co-directors and I, we use Slack every day. Then we have Zoom calls every week, so we’re speaking to each other every day. We’re in pretty much constant contact, but it’s mostly through Slack with occasional Zoom calls.”
Tip 3. Establish work/life boundaries
Work can easily invade on your personal life when you’re working from home. There’s a temptation to check emails, send out-of-hours messages, and catch up on tasks that wouldn’t be possible if you were fully office based.
A good tip is to find ways to disengage and spend time on other things that matter. When you do that, you’ll relax and recharge better, without work constantly creeping into your personal time.
Lettering artist Julia Broughton is fully behind the idea of separating work and play.
“I’ve got a very straightforward way of thinking about work.
“I like to keep it Monday to Friday, 9:00 till 6:00, and shorter if possible. I’m not going to fall into that trap that other creatives seem to put out on the internet of working all the time. I make time to go to the gym, go out for dinner, see friends or just watch TV.”
Tip 4. Make sure your tech and furniture functions
Back in the office, you probably had instant access to an IT department and ergonomic chair. At home, you’re likely lacking those luxuries. If your laptop’s not up to the job, or the kitchen chair’s giving you backache, your work’s going to suffer.
Don’t fall into the same trap that graphic designer David Dooley did.
“I started my freelance journey with a terrible laptop, an 11-inch MacBook air, where you could only see about a postage stamp worth of stuff on the screen,” he said.
Or Copywriter Karen Marston, who in her early days, “…was hunched over my laptop, with really bad posture, and crappy furniture in the place.” (Listen to Karen’s episode).
The point is that you’ll be working in this space every day, so you need to get the basics right: fast and reliable internet, technology that just works, and a comfortable workstation.
Tip 5. Set goals and rewards to stay motivated
Staying focused, motivated and on-track when you’re working in your own home is a constant battle. My own strategy is to set goals and targets throughout the day – and reward myself when I achieve them.
Experience designer Stefano Belluci Sessa backs the idea of rewarding yourself for good behaviour.
“Be the best boss you’ve ever had!
“Make sure you reward yourself, take time off to learn or relax, keep yourself creative and nurtured. When I complete a big project, I'm going to just relax because I earned it.”
Artist Maddie Frost agreed:
“It’s important you set reasonable goals. I’ve figured out that I work best in the morning, so I block off my time, set an achievable target, and say I'm going to work until noon. Then I’ll take a break and relax for a while.”
Tip 6. Create a zen space to work in
However much (or little) space you have at home, establish a dedicated area where you’re going to work every day. Make it as comfortable as you can, somewhere with plenty of light, that’s ideally quiet and pleasant. My own office is at the back of our house, away from the sound of my kids wrestling each other. And my desk is covered with simple, motivational post-it notes, like ‘work hard’ and ‘do the right thing’. All of that works for me. So think about what you need – and make it happen.
When illustrator Holly Exley moved out of London, she finally found the space she needed.
“Before moving here I always worked out of my bedroom, which got quite claustrophobic in the end, so now I have the top floor in the house, which is dedicated to work,” she said. “It’s really good, because at the end of a day I can just come downstairs and know that my work day is over – it really helps me to switch off more and be stricter with my work day.”
Tip 7. Avoid productivity killers
When you work from home, one type of distraction (or productivity killer) is swapped for another. Sure, there’s no one tapping you on the shoulder to ask for a quick meeting. But there’s also no one tapping you on the shoulder to tell you to get off Twitter.
It’s really important you’re aware of your triggers. And set clear boundaries that limit your access to the things that distract you.
Productivity was a challenge for developer Sara Soueidan, so she made some changes.
“I specify at least 90 minutes of uninterrupted work. No email, no Twitter, no anything.
“What usually distracts me is the computer itself. I have a Twitter tab open, I have email open, and you get notifications from here and there. Sometimes, if you're in the flow of work and you get that one notification, it’s enough to break that thread of ideas and ruin everything.”
Tip 8. Don’t squander your mornings
One of my biggest failings is wasting entire mornings in a swirling cloud of school runs, coffee to recuperate and breakfast telly. The answer, I’ve discovered, is to head straight to my desk after the school run and write a 10-minute journal entry. The process gets my fingers and brain functioning and sets me up for a good three hours of deep, focused work before lunch.
Copywriter Rose Crompton makes the most of her mornings.
“Because I am just more of a morning person, I always aim to do my writing in the morning,” she said. “And then I'll leave everything, like the email admin, or marketing, or social media marketing, or jumping on calls with clients, to the afternoons. Because for me, that doesn't take as much brain power as sitting and writing or editing a piece. I really need quite structured days in order for me to be the most productive that I can be.”
Tip 9. Crack the challenge of conference calls
You thought having client and conference calls in an office was frustrating? Try doing it from home. Now, you don’t just have to worry about the 5,000-digit dial-in number and uncomfortable pauses, you also have to contend with the dog barking, baby crying or someone ringing the doorbell.
Some top tips here. Before you call, make sure the washing machine or other noisy appliances aren’t switched on. Put a ‘do not disturb’ note on the front door. And if you do have a baby or dog indoors, be upfront with the person you’re talking to, so they’re prepared for any disruption and the call doesn’t implode.
You’ll also look way more professional if you set up your webcam with a pleasant background. Think book-filled shelves, or a view out to your garden. Motion graphics designer Hashmukh Kerai understands just how important this is.
“When I do Skype calls, I have to angle the webcam so it doesn't show the random bike in the corner!”
Tip 10. Amp up your creativity and productivity with a change of scene
When you work in an office, surrounded by co-workers, it’s all too easy to become tied to your desk. But few of us do our best work when we feel so confined.
My advice for boosting your creative thinking and productivity is to step away from your desk. Go for a cycle, a run, or even a wedge of chocolate cake in the garden. The very act of walking away from my workstation has a powerful effect on my mental state, and ideas instantly flow easier.
Don’t feel guilty about it, because when you’re working from home, you’re free to do things your way.
Writer Paul Jarvis is in tune with this one.
“We're not machines. Our bodies aren't built to sit at a desk staring at a monitor all day.
“I can be more productive if I go to the gym or if I eat well or if I get eight hours of sleep at night, and these things seem counter intuitive, but they're not. They're actually good for productivity.”
All that’s left to say is good luck with your working from home adventure. And if you’re looking for something genuinely interesting, supportive and helpful to do on your lunch-break (because watching repeats of Escape to the Country really isn’t), check out Steve Folland’s weekly chats with freelancers on the Being Freelance podcast.