By Jennifer McDougall

Working from home has many benefits, but to reap those benefits, you must know and practice a routine that allows you to be productive and maintain balance. Here are POCWASN we understand what it’s like to juggle many things at one time while trying our best to make time for self-care so that we stay healthy and focused. One of the biggest challenges of working from home is knowing how to deal with the distractions at home, such as the kids, husbands, freedom, and temptations to watch Netflix all day.

The trick is to balance your time. Create a routine that works best for you. This may require a little experimenting but that’s okay. Here are ten tips to help you make the most of your day while working from home and be as productive as possible.

1. Workout in the morning to get your blood flowing before sitting down at your desk. This will help you think clearly, boost your immunity system, improve your mood, and help you feel more accomplished early in the day.
2. Freshen up in the morning by brushing your teeth, taking a shower or bath, and adding a moisturizer and mascara to help you feel awake and perky.
3. Practice self-care in the middle of your day to give yourself a break.
4. Avoid watching TV while working unless the task at hand is mundane and doesn’t require much thought or effort. Watching TV while you work can be highly distracting and limit the quality of the work you are producing.
5. Maintain a clean and organized workspace, and add some ambient music to help you focus.
6. Track and manage your time more effectively with the help of something like Toggl.com.
7. Change your environment a couple of days a week to mix up your scenery, which can help inspire you.
8. Keep health food in your kitchen to avoid having to go out and grab lunch. This helps you save money and time.
9. Put your phone on silent so that every alert that pops up does not steal your attention away from what you are working on. Check your phone frequently to see if you’ve received text messages or social media updates, but don’t allow it to be the center of attention while you’re working.
10. Practice shutting down at a reasonable hour. Many people who work from home end up working around the clock and having no boundaries between work time, family time, and personal time. Create a solid schedule that you can stick to so that your life consists of balance and flow.