By Alison Flangel

The COVID-19 Pandemic has changed life as we know it … especially in terms of how we work. It can be hard to stay motivated when working from home or being a business owner. Below are some tips on how to effectively work when self-employed:

  1. Stick to a routine
    Routines are the golden answer to staying productive. By creating a routine, not only are you holding yourself accountable, but you are creating a schedule to help you organize your day. Try buying a calendar, planner, or white-board to write down your routine in the beginning stages of this process.
  2. Take regular breaks
    Oftentimes, we like to burn ourselves out. While working on your business, there can be many distractions.
    Taking scheduled and regulated breaks are essential. A simple 15-minute rest time to take a walk, or 30-minute break to prepare lunch helps to clear your mind and stay energized throughout the day.
  3. Create a designated workspace
    When working from home or for yourself, it can be hard to create boundaries between work and leisure. Creating a
    designated workspace helps to create a foundation for strong focus through purposeful separation. Especially with children or other distractions in the equation, specified work spaces within a work from home environment are essential for success. If it is too difficult to work from home, you may want to consider renting a space that will allow you to focus more.
  4. Set boundaries
    While the growth of technology allows us to work from virtually anywhere, setting boundaries in your work day is needed to create a healthy mindset. Just because one works from home does not mean a work day should be twelve hours long. Creating boundaries is important because without them, it can be difficult to separate work life from a personal one. Making an effort to shut your computer at a certain time, or only working specific days of the week, can help to solidify these parameters.