Working from home can be a dream, but only if you’re getting your work done. When there’s no pressure to even put on pants, it can sometimes be hard to actually be productive.
It can be difficult to carve out the literal and mental space for you to get into a work flow. If you only have a corner of a bedroom to work in, it can be a challenge to separate your work from your personal life.
With a whole world of distractions literally surrounding you (tv! food! your bed!) you need to hone in to get through your to do list. Working remotely is getting more and more common, so everyone will have to crack the code of how to work remotely sooner rather than later.
My own personal recommendation for a more productive home office is a good pair of headphones. Personally, between creating my podcast The Fairer Cents, phone calls, video calls, and just wanting to tune the world out, I use my headphones throughout the day. If you have a small space, a pair of noise canceling headphones might be the difference between being productive and going insane.
Eight Work From Home Tools For You
Here are eight other freelancers on the tools and products they use to create a productive home office for themselves.
“A standing desk is ESSENTIAL for my productivity. I find standing up most of the day (and sitting for breaks and meal times) keeps me more focused and energized.” Kali, Going Beyond Wealth
“Instead of an expensive whiteboard, I have showerboard which is much, much cheaper at the local hardware store. It works the same but and a quarter of the cost!” Emilie, She Does Better
“Dumbest thing, but having this year calendar really helps for things not sneaking up on me.” Paulette, Fuck Off Fund
“I’ve been working from home for 15 years. I’ve learned that dedicated office space with office furniture is essential to put you in the mindset of working vs wanting to load the dishwasher or watch TV. However having a backup office (coffee shop, library, friends place) is also a necessity for me, therefore my Samsonite backpack is a must for my on-the-go office.” Corina Frankie, Brand Besties
“A timer. I work straight for a time, then rest. I use this everyday.” Max, Max My Money
“The Passion Planner has a work to-do list and personal to-do list on the same page. I’m more effective in my professional life when I’m also taking care of my health & social life. So, this layout helps me stay balanced. I order the larger Passion Planner so that I can plan out my day in 30 minute intervals. Having a larger planner with lots of space to write works for me because I’m so visual.” Jessica, Jessica Kenyon Studio
“I travel a lot, and sometimes work in weird places like an airport or hotel lobby. My Bose headphones were such a good purchase because they are noise cancelling. And since they are big, people don’t try to talk to me when I’m wearing them. (Specifically: Bose QuietComfort 35.)” Veronica Camara, Avo Agency
“Between all the calls, Zoom meetings, podcasts and audio books, my AirPods have proven to be an invaluable purchase. Being physically attached to a device with headphones is constricting and now I can listen to audio without the distraction of having to have my phone physically next to me.” Deborah Whitby, Austin Plumbery
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