I work from home at least 50% of the time and its a huge challenge... definitely not for everyone. You have to be self motivated and really enjoy what you're doing, otherwise you're better off finding an office job. Even if you have what it takes keeping productivity on a consistently high level is a daily struggle.
I came across a list of 30 tips for staying productive while working from home at Zenhabits. The list is very useful, filled with great ideas to help you stay disciplined and focused on work without hurting quality of life. My personal favorite is number 17:
"No turning on the computer for a quick email check or to do 1 little thing until you’ve gotten “ready for work” as mentioned above. The nuance is if you have nowhere to be, that 1 little thing leads to showering at 2 in the afternoon with a splitting headache because you’ve forgotten to eat etc." - I couldn't agree more!
The only things tip I would add to the 30 is:
- Do some light exercise in the morning... jogging, pushups, situps... whatever you feel your body needs most. Its critical to be physically active for at least 20 minutes a day, otherwise your only exercise will be clearing a paper jam.
