Working From Home Day 1: My 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of It | Primer

I've been working from my home office for over 9 years, and here are a few things I've picked up along the way:

I am more productive when I still shower first thing in the morning and wear a real outfit (even shoes) than if I wear more comfortable clothing like sweatpants.

Having Netflix on in the background while doing menial work is a nice luxury and helps pass the time, but it will definitely drag out how long it takes, even if you think it's just "background noise."

Giving myself structure that works with my natural energy throughout the day is way less stressful and makes me more productive when I accept it. That could mean going for a run mid-morning or in the afternoon. It could mean having your video meetings before or after lunch. Figure out where you find yourself getting sluggish mentally and energy-wise and schedule appropriately - instead of forcing yourself to maintain your in-office routine. Which leads us to...

Create and maintain a routine: Make coffee, walk the dog, journal, shower, important tasks, check email, video meeting, lunch, etc. Creating a written "ideal" structure for my day helps me know if I'm on-task or off-task. The AppleTV, Youtube, and other new working-from-home friends will always be pulling for attention.

Working from home means you can't take the elevator down to the coffeeshop in the lobby anymore: But you can affordably make delicious coffee at home, easily, with a Chemex pour over. And, no expensive beans are necessary to get started: Seattle's Best Portside Blend is less than $7, pre-ground, available at most grocery stores, and gives me better results than some fancy whole bean coffees I've tried that are three times the price.