Top 5 Tips for Working From Home

Somewhere in the shuffle of May  Pretty Little Paper Company is celebrating it’s 3rd anniversary of being open! I usually celebrate with a picture, a post or something of the sort but then this little business of mine kept growing and wedding season took over the entire month. So, celebrating will just have to wait for this year … maybe in October when things slow down? 😉

I love reading others tips about working from home. What works for others working from home and what is an absolute fail. Last summer, I actually got my very own office in downtown Reno. I thought it would be a great way to get out of the house, separate myself from work and be around other people. My out-of-home office however, was still my office and I was still by myself. And rather than walking down the hall I was having to drive 15 mins (the horror, I know – stay with me here) It overall just wasn’t the best fit, so back home I went! And here are the 5 things that keep me sane while working from home!

1. A clean office. Easier said than done, for me especially (and Parker). But at the end of the work day or even on a Sunday, I will  make sure everything is back in its designated spot – the garbage is taken out, and things look clean. It makes for such a better morning when I walk in to see a clean desk.

That being said, in our old house my office was in our bonus room which didn’t have a door. It was so hard to walk past that room everyday, see a mess – or projects waiting to be fulfilled and not having the time to do them. When Parker was a baby it seemed to be the one room in the house he loved to go into the most, and without a door – it was always a mess from little baby hands touching everything.

 Keeping the office clean (and currently, the door shut when I’m not working) has been so helpful!

2. A schedule. Truth be told I started Pretty Little Paper shortly after graduating college, so I’ve honestly never done the 9 – 5 job. I don’t know how my mind (and body) would handle having to be in the same place for so many hours at a time. Especially in a creative job, I feel like change is good. By change, I mean I usually get into my office around 9 in the morning and work straight until around noon. Around that time I’ll stop for lunch, whether its by myself downstairs in my kitchen – a little day date with my husband or lunch with a friend. From there I will peak my head back into my office a few more times to see if I have any new emails or reviews on previous proofs that went out that morning and wrap the day up around 2:30/3:00. I’ve mentioned before I usually stop my work day around then because my husband works NY stock exchange hours (6:30 AM – 3:00 PM) so when he gets home, its time to play! And although my hours aren’t 9 – 5 they sometimes become 7 am – midnight during wedding season.. perk of working for yourself. 

3. Be comfortable. I probably take this too literally but I find it important to get out of my pajamas and into something that I didn’t sleep in. A good 90% of the time that means yoga pants or leggings but to change, put a bra on and brush my teeth and my hair – it helps me feel like I’m actually breaking up the day and not just wondering into my office in sweatpants.