How to Stay Sane When You’re Working from Home

Ask anyone who’s stuck in a cubicle all day what their #1 dream is, and no doubt a significant percentage of them will tell you it would be the ability to work from home. Of course, this makes sense, because working from home is AWESOME. You set your own hours, you make your own rules, and you can wear your PJs if you want.

However, working from home isn’t for everyone. For some, the isolation proves more than they can handle, and they crave the professional and social interactions you find working in a non-home environment. Others struggle with the lack of structure and supervision.

If you fall into this second category and have found that working from home is slowly taking a toll on you as a professional, don’t worry. There are things you can do to help keep you stay on track, motivated, and most importantly, sane. Here’s what works for me:

●     Allocate time for different tasks during the day. If you are a person who likes structure, and let’s be honest, most of us need some sort of framework in which to work, then divvy up your day. Figure out what your goals/tasks are, then assign them to their own timeslots.

●     Don’t forget to include breaks. Regular breaks help you stay motivated, on-task, and more productive, so be sure to allot time for breaks. I like to shoot for 5 to 10 minutes per hour, where I get up and walk around, or play with my dog, or even just sit quietly with my eyes closed.

●     Build a community. No, I’m not talking about starting your own city. I’m talking about a community of other voice over entrepreneurs like yourself! There are plenty of other people in this business who are in the same situation you are, so seek them out. Once you find them, you can organize meetups or group chats online to break the monotony of the day and learn from others in the biz.

●     Don’t make yourself available 24/7. Technology has enabled us to be reachable whenever and wherever, so the boundaries of work time/personal time have blurred. To be sure you’re putting enough separation between the two, set specific work hours for yourself, and make sure others know about them.