Working from home is something that more and more people are doing these days. It offers flexibility and it means that you can live a freelance lifestyle that means you can work when it suits you - so your family life feels a little more measured and easy to organise. But working from home and working freelance isn’t always easy. Here are a few tips for how to arrange your life so that the working from home lifestyle suits you…

Create A Home Office

First and foremost, you need to make sure that you’ve created a comfortable home office space in which you can work. If possible it should be separate from the rest of your home - if you have kids or pets it’s good to be able to shut them out to some extent, and you should also make sure that your working space isn’t right next to a space where you relax. For instance, if your workspace is in the corner of your bedroom then it might mean that you have problems sleeping if all you can see when you’re lying in bed is a stack of work that you need to complete the next day! Make sure that you put up room dividers or curtains at least. Paint the space a clean and neutral colour - pale grey is popular at the moment, but light blue is also an incredibly peaceful colour that will help you to focus and concentrate. Make sure that you’re physically comfortable while you’re working - get a chair that’s good for your back and make sure that you can put your feet easily on the floor. Finally, make sure that you have plenty of natural light so that you don’t hurt your eyes, and that you can open a window to get some fresh air to prevent headaches.

Consider Storage Solutions

One of the hardest things about working from home is storage. If you work in an office, there will probably be filing cabinets to hold information and paperwork - but if you work at home it might be hard to find space for all of that. It’s important to make sure that your work doesn’t clutter up your home too much so you need to find solutions. A lot of the time, going paperless and working virtually is the best way to do it - let’s face it, virtual storage takes up a whole lot less physical space! A records management system can work wonders for your home organisation - visit the page here to look at options that might suit you.

Don’t Overwork Yourself

If you’re working freelance or from home it can be very easy to burn out - not having specific office hours can be tough because you might feel guilty about stopping work in the evenings. However, it’s crucial to make sure that you do. Taking time out for yourself is one of the best ways to stay mentally healthy - looking at a computer screen all day simply isn’t good for you, so you need to switch off in the evenings or in your designated hours off to see your friends, relax on your sofa, go on a date with your partner, and spend time with your kids. This will help you to feel fresher and more full of ideas for the next day.

Ensure That People Understand

A lot of people think that if you work from home or as a freelancer, your time is yours to do absolutely whatever you want with it, so they might try to take advantage of you. It’s important that you get your friends and family to realise that popping over for a cup of tea in the middle of the day might be nice but it also means that you’ll have to work later that evening to make up for the lost time. Your time really does mean money and it’s crucial that you get people to realise that.

Make Sure You Stay Active

Finally, you might not realise it but if you work from home you’re a lot less active than if you were commuting to work every day. It’s important that you get some fresh air every day, whether that’s taking your dog for a couple of walks or going to the shops for a break. Staying fit and healthy should be at the top of your list of priorities so it’s time to figure out how exactly you want to stay in shape - you could join a local gym, go hiking at weekends or even take up yoga.