Best Tips for Working From Home

Zen Habits asks: What are the best tips for working from home?

I was more than happy to share my tips. Here's what I posted on the comment section.

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nice. as someone who works from "home" (i.e. i'm posting this from Ireland right now) and passionate and happy on my job, let me tell you that one of your biggest challenges is to know when to stop working, especially if you get into the flow of things. this is my biggest problem right now and i still don't have a solution for it. yeah, yeah, i know all the GTD stuff, but in practice, "flow" is like crack!

that said, here are some quick tips i've learned from working from "home."

-- unplug, or kill your TV

-- use Gmail colored tabs and filters to organize your inbox stuff.

-- working from home gives you more time and opportunity to meditate and reflect on what you're doing. use that time wisely.

-- it's tempting to slack in the hygiene department when you work from home. but resist it, my friend. resist the temptation!

-- invest in a good chair. it will save your ass and back. if you could afford it, get this: http://www.hermanmiller.com/aeron/

-- drink Red Bull at your own risk

-- there would be times when you'll get claustrophobic (within the walls of your home office) and believe me, you'll yearn for human company. when you feel this basic evolutionary urge, go out and do your work at coffee shops with wi-fi access. the lattes and hot people will keep you awake too :)

-- switch to a MacBook Air if you can afford it. it would save you from back aches if you lug your laptop around coffee shops. it would make you look cool too.

that's all for now. and congratulations again for doing what you do best, at home. i know the feeling ;)

keep it flowing...

~C