I work from home — here are 6 ways I stay disciplined

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The ability to work from home can have productivity benefits for workers, but it can also bring distractions and difficulties.
Here, author Jennifer Still details six things that she does to stay disciplined while working remotely.

While more and more companies are opting to allow employees to telecommute — a wise decision considering the productivity boost that can result — working from home isn't for everyone.

I've been doing it for nearly 10 years, and honestly, I can't imagine ever returning to a traditional office environment.

Still, it's easy to get distracted when you're effectively your own boss when it comes to time management. Since no one's clocking my productivity, it's up to me to ensure everything gets done promptly and at a high level of quality.

Here's how I keep myself focused and disciplined while working from home.

I set a schedule.

While some people might consider the ability to change up your routine a perk of working from home — and it's great to be able to go to a mid-day dentist appointment or run out to the store if I realize I'm out of milk — I find I work best if I adhere to a pretty strict schedule.

I get up at the same time every morning (around 6:30 a.m. but never later than 7 a.m.) and am generally in bed by 10 p.m. every night, including weekends.

First thing in the morning, I take my dog for a walk. Then I go to the gym for an hour, come home, and cook some food, and then get down to business by roughly 11 a.m. I don't really take a lunch break, but I do something even more valuable …

I get up from my desk at least once an hour.

There are proven productivity and physical health benefits to getting up from your desk regularly, and I make sure I do so at least once an hour. Not only does doing so allow me to stretch my legs and get my blood flowing again while I grab some coffee from the kitchen, it also helps me clear the fog of concentration I was working in and get ready to approach a given project with renewed concentration.

I also drink a lot of water — roughly 4 liters a day — and this also helps with forcing me to get up a lot since I often have to make a quick bathroom run at least once an hour. Hey, whatever works, right?

I listen to ASMR videos on YouTube.

It sounds crazy, but Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response — a phenomenon known more commonly as ASMR — has done wonders for my productivity levels. Basically, it's a super relaxing, full-body "buzz" that's produced by certain triggers, which differ according to the individual. Whether it's tapping sounds, crinkling sounds, or whispered voices, those who experience ASMR swear by it, and I'm one of them.

While it's also great for helping me get to sleep at night if I happen to be having trouble resting, during the day, plugging in my headphones and listening to some of my favorite ASMR artists on YouTube allows me to get in a zone of total productivity.

While the science behind ASMR isn't totally understood just yet, it works for me.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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