More people are being asked to work from home — here's how to do it, according to our remote editors and freelancers

Plan your "workday" and stick to it

I've been working remotely off and on since 2005. When you're used to an office every day, it can be an adjustment to switch gears and work from home. The upside is that you can become more efficient without the interruptions that occur in a regular office environment. At home, coworkers won't stop by your desk to chat and you won't get distracted when you overhear other people's conversations.

It's still possible to become distracted if you're working at home, so set and stick to a regular schedule. Get up, shower, get dressed, and eat breakfast. Then sit down at your appointed start time. — Jackie Brown, freelance writer

My wife and I both work from home. I've been at it for seven years now as a freelance writer, and she's a corporate trainer. The biggest challenge is using your time effectively. When your office is in your home, the temptation is always there to neglect your work and tackle other tasks. Conversely, it's also easy to feel like you're on the clock 24/7. The key is finding the right balance, but no matter what I tell you, that's going to take plenty of trial and error.

For me, at the end of each day, I make a list of what I want to complete the following day with the most important items listed first. As I cross off each task, I reward myself. This might be watching 10 minutes of a favorite show, checking Facebook, grabbing a snack or lunch, or squeezing in a workout. Whatever your reward is, you need to be disciplined and set limits, otherwise it's easy to get sucked into media, and suddenly, an hour has gone by. Also, limit your work hours. I try to log off completely by 6 each evening so I can give my family my full attention. — James Brains, freelance writer

Create a work environment that works for you

Everyone's setup is going to be different. Mine is an extra-long standing desk from Autonomous. It's longer than most home office desks so my husband and I (and our four monitors) can work alongside each other comfortably. The dark wood so it hides all the coffee rings and splatters from our ramen when we're eating at the desk, and we adjust it to stand and sit several times a day so we don't get sore from one position. — Jada Wong, senior editor

This might be a new desk and office chair or simply a space at your kitchen table with your computer, a desk lamp, notepads, and pens. A printer and scanner can be helpful when you're working out of the office. — Jackie Brown

You need to have a good internet connection if you want to work from home efficiently. I've found mesh WiFi systems work well in my 4,000-square-foot house. I currently use the Gryphon Guardian Mesh WiFi Router 3-pack, and I like that it has built-in parental controls that help my kindergartener and I use the internet responsibly.  

I've been happy with the Uplift sit-stand desk for the past year because it adjusts with one push of a button. I've also had the Eureka Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair for over a year, and I love that I can sit in it for hours without experiencing fatigue. I tested and reviewed the standing desk here, and the chair here.

My HP Envy 34 is also just amazing. I appreciate that it works quickly and the screen is large enough for me to have several windows viewable at the same time. You can read my full review here. — James Brains 

If you're on multiple video calls a day, you're probably tired of the tinny audio most webcams give from their small mics and could use an upgrade. I've used the Blue Yeti USB mic for the past few years and it's been the overwhelming favorite with the remote teams I've worked with. It may not seem essential, but it's a welcome upgrade to your quality of remote work when people sound natural, instead of jarringly artificial. — Adam Burakowski, Director of Commerce

After years of working with the Business Insider Strategy team, I originally intended to do everything right: find a dedicated office space in my new house and add unfaltering Wi-Fi, an ergonomic chair, a wide-screen monitor, a host of handy tech, and maybe some blue light glasses. Turns out I don't actually have space for a dedicated office — it took me months to even move the desk into the guest room so I could shut the door on our lab puppy. 

What I got instead was a laptop, a desk, and a $8 mouse from Amazon Basics. (That's not to insult the mouse; it tripled my productivity from when I was suffering through a trackpad way back when.) — Libby Kane, executive editor of Personal Finance Insider

While I have my own home office set up, I often do my work on my couch. Not only is it more comfortable than my office chair, but it's also positioned smack-dab in front of my TV. When I want to stay up to date with the news (or to be distracted with a guilty pleasure like "Murder, She Wrote"), I camp out in my living room to work.

On days like these, my lap desk is a must. It's a comfortable way to work since it keeps my laptop, which can get warm, from directly sitting on my thighs, and it also gives me a flat surface to work on. This LapGear Designer Lap Desk is a great option since it includes a slot to hold my cellphone, which I always keep nearby, as well as an elastic strap to hold papers.  —Sunny Chanel, freelance writer

Avoid distractions like social media, TV, and chores

To avoid household distractions, keep the TV off, and ignore dirty dishes in the sink or that pile of laundry that needs to be folded until your workday is over. Stay off social media and put your phone in another room unless you need it for work-related communication. It's easier to become distracted by the internet, social media, personal texts, emails, and more when you're working remotely. — Jackie Brown

I never followed through on my big dreams of the perfect setup with a nice table, chair, and "office" equipment. But what I did learn is this: The trick to working from home is having work that needs to get done and caring that you do a good job. Then you sit down and just do it — you choose it above the dishes, laundry, errands, and workout classes. If you mentally treat "work from home" as the opportunity to do all of your life admin while keeping your laptop open, you'll never get any work done. — Libby Kane

Overcommunicate

To keep yourself accountable and consistent, let your boss and teammates know what your work schedule will be (say, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm with a 30-minute lunch period) and communicate if you will be starting late or ending early.

To stay connected with your co-workers, pick up the phone more. It may be faster to shoot off a quick email, but regularly speaking to your teammates can keep you all on the same page and ward off the loneliness that can occur when working remotely.

Even better, use Facetime or video conferencing for meetings and more in-depth conversations. They make you feel connected to your team, which makes you feel more productive and happy you're working from home.

If multiple team members are working remotely and you need to manage projects together, consider a platform like Trello or GoogleDocs that will allow all of you to track, share, and update projects and materials all in one place. — Jackie Brown

Keep food, snacks, and coffee handy

When working from home, your biggest temptations are the TV, the bed, and the refrigerator. I like having Freshly meals on hand so I can enjoy quick and healthy lunches, and I'm not tempted to eat junk food or blow an hour or two going out to lunch. 

Similarly, I'm never tempted to wander off to a coffee shop because I have the best espresso machine — the Saeco Xelsis Espresso Machine. It effortlessly makes whatever I want. I recommend checking out our guide to the best espresso machines for affordable solutions. — James Brains 

On the subject of keeping food close at hand...

I usually like to work in or near a kitchen. Having spent a number of years working from the road (pre-3G and widespread wifi days), I made diners and dives (with free Wi-Fi and cheap fare) a prerogative. I might be reminiscing here, but the sights and sounds of a working kitchen offer an unparalleled rhythm by which to work. And, if it's an empty kitchen, I can at least take solace in knowing that food, drink, and most of my preferred societal comforts are well at hand.

Living in a small Brooklyn apartment with an even more diminutive closed-off kitchen, working from the kitchen is not an option unless I want to sit against the fridge with my knees to my chest and my laptop on my knees.

So, in the end, I have gone for a sort of homely, somewhat elevated take on the American diner. Condiments, utensils, and napkins are always on the table, and always there to remind me that there is an end in sight to whatever I may be working on, and completing it can, if I so wish, involve a reward in the form of food: A motivating factor if there ever were one.

The other priority I have is natural light, which, in the city, can be hard to come by. I perch by a window, but as you might notice, it doesn't offer much in the way of sun. I make sure to set myself up with an adjustable ambiance. The benefits of having a light with a dimmer can be immeasurable, especially as you get through the day, and the light shifts from one side of your workspace to the other — or in the case of my garden apartment, almost not at all. I like a soft white bulb, which this lamp from Gantri emanates well. 

Scent is another great factor to pay attention to, and while that of a diner is appetizing, it's not always called for. I keep a stack of natural wood incense briquettes from Incienso de Santa Fe on hand (I like the Piñon ones), and burn one or two throughout the day so as not to smell my own fumes (which, these days, can get a little ripe between showers).

I also try to stray a few curiosities from the outside world around to remind me that although my presence there may be restricted at the moment, it still exists, and the window sill is the perfect place for it. I have everything from abalone shells (off whose meat I once subsisted for months), favorite (empty) bottles of wine and rum, a speargun that a six-year-old in the Philippines made for me, a kerosene lantern, a Himalayan salt lamp (like this one), a pile of tea candles, an old postcard from Myanmar, a massive (out-of-print) coffee table book filled with photos of prehistoric fish, another massive coffee table book on fishing called Salt: Coastal and Flats Fishing (I'm a fishing fanatic), an Apple Music subscription (I don't always listen to music when I work, but I prefer unearthing the type of old, nearly forgotten old albums that only Apple seems to have a wealth of), and lastly, the thing that really keeps me propped up all day and sometimes all night (apart from this equally uncomfortable yet practical stool, which I also swear by): a Breville Barista Express espresso machine. — Owen Burke, senior reporter

Move around when you need a break

I cast workout videos from the Nike Training Club app from my phone to my TV so it's easier to watch and try to do one or two videos every day. You can choose from a ton of different workouts and even filter them by the length of time or equipment needed, so you can get a workout that fits your needs and your space. 

I've also been using this Ring Fit Adventure game on the Nintendo Switch as a fun break from workout videos, and it always surprises me how deceptively difficult it can be. There is an adventure option in which you do mini-challenges and try to defeat a bodybuilding dragon, as well as a customized workout option in which you can choose targeted exercises like squats and core work. The game comes with a circular hoop and leg strap in which you attach your Joy-Con to track movement. — Jada Wong 

The NordicTrack Treadmill is pricey, but I use it on a daily basis whenever I need a quick break from work. I'll go for a walk or a run, and then once the juices are flowing again, I'll get back to work. You can read my full review here. — James Brains 

 

 

If you have kids, keep them entertained and out of your way

My productivity tends to take a dive when my kindergartener is home. I'm a little embarrassed to say that when I'm on deadline, I'll often let him turn to Roblox or Minecraft on his Fire HD 8 Tablet for entertainment. However, I make a point of spending quality time with him during breaks.

If you're going to give your child unsupervised screen time, you need to have restrictions in place. Circle Home Plus Parental Controls can help with this, and you can also use it to limit your screen time and non-work-related browsing. This is one of my favorite productivity hacks. You can read my full review here. — James Brains

Check out our related stories:

• 21 tech gadgets we use to boost our productivity and comfort when we work from home
• The best standing desks for your home
• The best office chairs
• The best free virtual workouts you can do at home
• 12 popular health and fitness Udemy courses you can take at home, from yoga and Pilates to nutrition and mental health
• 6 places to take free and affordable classes online, on everything from programming to photography
• Yale's most popular class ever is available free online — and the topic is how to be happier in your daily life