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Wednesday’s 5 Tips While Working From Home

Filed Under: Motivated Moms Tagged With: 2 Comments

After spending the past two plus weeks on a vacation, it was time this week to put back on my working shoes. 
Since late July, I have spent leisurely days having noon picnics at the park with my kids and husband, hot afternoons at the local swimming pool, teaching water aerobics three evenings a week, spending time with my family at the farm and fully enjoying a break from my rigorous travel schedule. 
This week I am back to my working from home reality.

A few of have asked for me to share some of my tips to working from home as I have spent four of the past eight years in my current job working remotely and from a home office.

I have probably 100 plus tips I could share. This will be my first installment of 5 basic tips and next Wednesday I will share another 5 tips. And if you think these are bogus and you don’t care, you can tell me that tidbit of information. However these are just my little steps I follow to make my routine work best for my family, career and me. Writing down what my routine is a good exercise for me and maybe I will find a tip for myself that includes cleaning and organizing my office because that is not a part of my current work from home routine.

1. Take a shower every morning before your kids are awake. 
This first step at times is a challenge. You need to get up early each day. If it doesn’t work with your young kids, my advice is pull a pack-n-play playpen into your bathroom and put your young child in there while you shower. If your kids are older put some toys on the floor of the bathroom and shower while they play. Put your young child (I have girls who think this is a blast) in the shower with you if you need to. Or if you husband isn’t already at work, have him watch them. Whatever you need to do, take a shower. 
2. Get dressed for work. 
If your colleague, boss or largest client walked into your home office right now would you be embarrassed at what you are wearing? If yes, then you are not dressed for work. 
For me, I am not wearing a business suit in my home office like I would for a client meeting. However I am not wearing Saturday casual clothes. I wear something each day that I could wear to any of my company’s offices. I feel then like I am going to work.
3. Put on your work face 

I don’t use my blow dryer or curling iron every day when I am working from home. But I do wear make up because I would not go into my office with out make up on and so I do not go to work at home with out it. 
A key for me is to LOOK and FEEL like I am going to work just like I would be commuting into an office and sitting at a desk in a typical office setting.
4. Take care of your household jobs and develop your morning routine.

Make your bed. Empty your dishwasher. Start a load of laundry or fold what you threw in the dryer last night. Whatever it is you need to do before going to work, take care of it. 
I make my bed every morning. Hunter empties the dishwasher. I drink a cup of coffee. I get the girls dressed and play a little with them in their bedrooms before we load up for the day.

5. Kids go to school, day care and you go to work.


Between 7:30AM and 8AM, my children are off to school or daycare and when I walk back in the door of my house, I walk into my home office and go to work. It’s me at my computer with my phone and video camera. I communicate daily with people across numerous time zones through video conference calls, phone, social networks and email on my computer.
Mentally, I have to leave my household duties, mommy jobs and now do my professional job when I enter my home office.
I love my career but it takes training, routine and being mentally prepared to do this every day.

Next Wednesday, I will fill you on my next 5 tips that get me through the work day most efficiently and effectively. And one of them could be NOT blogging during your work day which is why I have strategically scheduled this post!

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