4 Tips for Working at Home

I've been working at home for 4 months now (and what an awesome 4 months it's been). I've learned some tips along the way that might help others working at home (please share your tips too):

Get a pet

Get whatever kind you want; just have some sort of companion. Having a dog at home is great. Not only is Loki a built in stress reliever but she also forces me to get outside every few hours because she needs to go for a walk. Dogs listen to everything you say; if I'm trying to solve some complicated problem talking it out loud to Loki usually helps clear and focus my mind (plus it feels less awkward than talking to nobody).

Eat, but not too much

I go back and forth. There will be days when I completely forget to eat until dinner and then there will be days when I snack all day long. Both aren't very good for me. I'm still working on it.

Set rules about where and when you work

When you work at home there are no built in clues that tell you to start and stop working. That's why I do all my work in our second bedroom. There is a large desk and a dry erase board in there. It's like that advice I've heard: "Don't watch TV in the room you sleep in because you'll have trouble sleeping there".

Likewise you also need rules about when you work. Since I don't drive to/from work I have to setup general rules about when I work or I'd end up working all day long. That might not be a terrible thing for FriendFeed but I do have things that need to get done around the house so I try to wrap things up at a reasonable hour and set them aside until tomorrow.

Podcasts

Maybe this doesn't apply to everyone but listening to podcasts is helpful for me. I usually don't pay attention to what they're saying but it's nice to hear some human voices other than my own (see section 1: I talk to my dog).

Bonus tip! - Don't be afraid to communicate

Don't be afraid to ask for help. When you work remotely you can't just turn around and ask a question; you have to setup a phone call, send an email, or (for FriendFeed) post an entry which are all 1) less immediate and 2) more concrete and formal. Everyone needs help sometimes.