By Shakira Shareef I have been working from home (WFH) for years because I’m a freelancer, but now I find it challenging and exhausting. If you have just started working from home, trust me, I know what you’re feeling. I know how hard it must be for you given that you’ve worked in an office all these years. You might love the flexibility you get for the first few days. It’s fun to work in your pyjamas and eat whatever you want and wherever you want. You don’t have to wear makeup or a tie, and you don’t even have to commute to work. This might increase efficiency and eventually, you’d be willing to work overtime. But the flexibility will soon become a curse unless your company has a proper system to ensure you’re getting the job done. So in my view, the flexibility that comes with working from home is a curse and a blessing. Of course, this could be different for some of you, but in this piece, I will cover some of my tips to help you stay focused and get the work done without burnout. Have a proper workspace I can’t stick to one place, so I move my work table around the house whenever I get bored. Even if I move my table from place to place, I still keep it tidy. This way, I can stay highly focused and finish the work sooner. When there’s clutter, it gives me anxiety, and I am unable to work unless I tidy it up. So every night, I arrange my table neatly so I can wake up to a clutter-free space. If you’re not someone who worries about clutter-free space, you still need a separate workspace because you live in a brown household and you may have surprise visitors. People might stare at your desk and ask questions. Are you going to get the work done or take some time off and explain what’s on your screen to your unwelcome visitors? This is why you should set up a place where you can focus. Even if you don’t have a big home, try to set up a table in some corner. Get rid of distractions This is one of the hardest yet most important things because you have duties to complete. Distractions could be in any form; they are not entirely all about social media. Sometimes someone might barge in to ask you to come for lunch or ask for an opinion on something because you are working from home. This is why you should get rid of distractions beforehand. This is a lot of work if you have a huge family, but it is worth the effort. Tell them you can’t afford to get distracted because you must finish the work. If your company has set a time for work, you should inform your family and schedule your day accordingly. Think about the consequences This has been a great trick that has helped me whenever I can’t get the work done because I can’t always afford to run to a cafe when it gets difficult at home. I know I can’t afford to lose my job, so even if it’s hard to get myself to work from home, I drag myself to the chair and just get started. I’ve read a few self-help books and tried several techniques, apps, and whatnot, but nothing works like this. When I think of losing my income, I feel the need to push myself to get the work done. This is a tried and tested technique. Don’t be too hard on yourself I’ve pulled too many all-nighters. I couldn’t get the work done in the daytime because of too many distractions. I gave in and engaged in conversations, leaving my work for later. I had a desire to make lots of money and was too hard on myself to work even though my body wasn’t cooperating. This happens when you don’t have a strict system. Letting work affect your mental and physical health is not the solution. If one WFH tip doesn’t work, try another. If that, too, doesn’t work, keep trying. No matter what, be kind to yourself. Listen to what your body is saying – if it’s tired, it is tired. Give it a break and start again. PHOTO © PEXELS Author bio:   Shakira Shareef is a freelance writer from Kandy, Sri Lanka. She writes on various topics and is passionate about Sri Lankan travel, culture, and lifestyle IG: @writershakira LinkedIn: Shakira Shareef.