STYLING + PHOTOGRAPHY BY ME

Most people think that working from home is the best thing ever, and while it might be for some lucky few who get the opportunity + flexibility to work from home, it is rather challenging to do. Therefore, it requires focus to successfully pull off a day at home instead of the office.

The information technology industry is one of the fields that are extremely flexible and support working from home because workers can do their work from virtually anywhere. Especially given that most smartphone devices now come with built-in PC features from word processing to virtual conference rooms (Skype conference), it makes working from home even more flexible.

Now and again, when I’m under the weather like I have been the past week, I have the flexible to work from home. It’s great because I can suffer through my severe sinus infection and headache from the comfort of my home office and remove the risk of getting my co-workers and/or fellow commuters sick; or worst, put more stress on my body.

Today, I wanted to share with you what my work from home morning routine looks like this and to share some tips on how I stay focused and manage my time.

5am—I’m up 30 minutes after my alarm (4:30am), which gives me plenty of time to drink my first cup of green tea, catch up on some news on Flipboard, {great app, by the way}, check emails, make notes of my to-do for the day, and review my calendar. If I have time, I’ll squeeze in a 30-minutes workout {IF}.

8am—by 8am, my Little A is dropped off, pet duties are completed, make myself another cup of tea, and start the short two-minute commute into my office. I don’t start working until 8:30, so I would usually interact + engage with my social media followers on Instagram responding to comments, liking and commenting on others’ posts. {Engagement is king on Instagram, you guys!}

12pm (lunch)—working from home doesn’t mean I don’t get a lunch break. In fact, breaks are important to ensuring that I get the most out of my day and it keeps me productive and focused after an hour lunch break. I usually would make myself some lunch, typically scrambled eggs on flour tortilla with mashed avocado and some more green tea. If I had a little more time I would maybe check my personal email / engagement on IG, Twitter and Facebook / light news reading on something inspiration or read a favorite blog. {tip: with an hour lunch, you can go for a 30-min. walk}

1pm—after my lunch hour, I usually log back into work and continue until I log off later in the afternoon, usually between 4:30pm to 5:30pm; it really depends on the day and how busy I am. Some days I have a lot of meetings / calls in the afternoon. Some days I just have a lot of code validations or some product management strategies to manage and implement. Some days I’m focused on design and development of a new or existing product—depending on what tasks I’m usually working uninterrupted to minimize any mistakes.

5pm—mommy hat is back on and I’m ready to continue on the one job that I never take a break from, lol. Because of the flexibility of being able to work from home, I don’t have to deal with 1.5-2 hours of traffic which is huge because the traffic is insane, and it just takes so much out of me.

In my more than 15 years career, my #1 advice for working from home successfully without distractions is to create a designated office space where you can focus on doing your work. It is so easy to get distracted by TV / texting / going on social media or taking a nap or whatever, but creating a space dedicated for work is key. In addition, I would recommendworking in blocks of time and taking breaks, including a lunch break is so important especially when it comes to staying focus on work and not play. It takes time to find the right balance, but can be achieved. Working from home is not for everyone, it takes discipline.

P.S., I actually get dressed as though I were going into the office, no working in pajamas!

If you have ever worked from home what worked and didn’t work for you? I would love to read your tips / ideas!

styling + photography by Glor Anwanwan