How to create a work from home schedule

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Without a doubt working from home has its challenges. You are in your home all the time and you notice how dirty it is all day long. To thrive in your work from home job or business, you need to create a work from home schedule that will work for you.

When I started working from home I didn’t have a schedule at all. Then I would find myself frantically working before my children came home.

Creating your work from home schedule

Everything listed below is what I use to keep my business going. Working from home has had so many benefits for our family. My husband can travel for his job knowing that I am available and not tied to a desk just in case something happens.

I truly hope some of these tips will help you create a schedule for your work from home job.

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Define how many hours a week you can work

Knowing exactly how many hours a week you can dedicate to your business is key. You will need to know how many hours each day you can work. This will help with prioritizing your work.

For instance, I know that on Monday’s my kids get out of school and hour earlier so I have a shorter workday. This means I have to have be focused and productive during work hours. I also prioritize what I can get done during those hours.

Set Office hours

Setting your office hours means during those hours you are going to focus on your business tasks. Does that mean you can throw a load of laundry in? Absolutely you can, but you have to focus on your business while the laundry is going.

A designated workspace

Having a designated workspace allows you to know exactly where all your work stuff should be. It also allows you to focus and “leave the office” when your time is over.

If you struggle with having a designated space, I get it! I struggle to work at a desk, but I do have all my business tools at the desk so I know where they are.

Create Time Blocks

Now that you know how many hours a day you can work, I recommend you create time blocks of 25 minutes. 25 minutes allows you enough time to focus and complete a full task.

After a 25-minute time block, you can take a short 5-minute break. Rember that load of laundry that was washing, now you can throw it in the dryer! Then after that 5 minutes, come back and do the next thing on your list.

Prioritize your work

This is my favorite part of the day. I dump everything that I have to do for the day or week by writing it down. Then I look at the list and start to prioritize what has to be done today, or later in the week. I write down everything, from work tasks to chores to appointments. Everything goes down on the paper.

Once I have my list I prioritize what is most important to least important. Then I make a plan of attack keeping in mind my time blocks. This is when my work from home schedule is being sketched out.

Eat the Frog first

Have you heard of the phrase Eat the Frog? The concept is you do the thing you don’t want to do first. That way it is out of the way and you don’t have to worry about doing that task.

Quitting time

It is SO EASY to just keep working when you work from home. You are already at home so you don’t have a commute. By having a quitting time it allows your brain to stop so that you can rest. Rest is so important and your brain needs to be able to take a break from thinking. Even if you still have things on your list to do.

Tomorrow, tomorrow your only a day away

Plan for the following day. Take that list you made, check off what got done and then rewrite the list with new action items for the following day. This will help you relax knowing you already have a plan for tomorrow.

Workout

This may be on the last of the list, but it’s crucial for when you work from home. I have found that when I start working, that sometimes I don’t move from my desk for HOURS. You need to work out and move your body!

There are so many free workouts on YouTube that you can easily add a 30-minute workout to your time blocks. I do mine during my lunchtime blocks. Then in the evenings, I go for a long walk.

Working out also will give your mind a break and allow you to be more creative.

When life throws a curveball

Sometimes, life happens and things don’t go as planned. When that happens then you have to be able to pivot and focus on what needs your attention. Sometimes it might be kids getting hurt, or a phone call from the school or a sick parent.

Working from home makes these events easier to happen. When they happen at our house, I evaluate where I can get those hours back that I missed from my day.

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Work at home benefits

The number one reason why more and more women want to work from home is that they feel torn between their career and their family. Working outside the home often means a commute time, dropping kids at child care and after school care for the children and a commute time home to spend two hours with their kids before they do it all over again the next day.

By working from home, it allows you to have more flexibility in your schedule. Use that flexibility to create the perfect schedule for you.

The tips listed here is what works for me and my family and my clients.

Final thoughts on a work from home schedule

Creating a work from home schedule that works for you is has its challenges, but once you have an idea of what is important in your schedule then it becomes easier.

If you get stuck, I recommend you sit down and pray about it. Ask God for help in figuring out your work schedule. He will help you!

I also recommend you download my free weekly planner. It has daily planner sheets in it that will help you get your days planned. It also has a menu planning sheet and some other goodies in it. I use the planning sheets and the menu plan weekly to help me stay organized! You can get it by signing up below!