How to Keep Your Sanity While Working from Home

Working from home is a real dream for many, but there can be drawbacks that a lot of people don't talk about from distractions, to watching your kids (if they're home too), trying to stay on track and meet deadlines, and more. It can all be a lot.

How can you keep your sanity?

Check out these 9 easy tips to help you stay sane while working from home.

9 Ideas to Make the Most Out of Working from Home

These are some of the best tips to help you stay sane while working at home.

1. Take Breaks

Taking breaks is so underrated. A lot of people consider working from home more relaxed than working in an office setting, so they think breaks are not needed. This is so wrong.

Make sure to take breaks during the day. They help you break up (pun intended) the day and help stave off boredom while working at your desk.

During breaks you can grab a cup of coffee, do some light stretching, walk around the block, play with your dog, or sit and watch a little TV for a few minutes.

Even if you don't think you need them, take breaks during your workday. They make a real difference.

2. Get Active

You might be wondering about this one.

How do you get some activity while you're working?

It's really easy, and activity can play an important role in how focused and productive you are working at home.

Here are some ideas to get more activity in your day:

• Do stretching
• Walk your dog
• Walk to the end of your driveway and back
• Walk to your mailbox to get the mail
• Walk on your treadmill while working (or stationary bike)

Get your blood pumping and get active. If you can get some sun while doing these things, that's even better. Nothing like vitamin D to wake you up and rejuvenate you.

3. Collaborate with Others

Working by yourself in an office can get lonely. Collaborate with teammates. Try doing a group chat or group conference call. Even if you check in with a work friend to say hi or talk to your boss once a week, that's a great start. It makes you feel like you're not the only one in the room.

4. Get Adequate Sleep

One of the perks of working from home is you don't have to endure your morning commute. This means you have more time before work, which a lot of people use to sleep. Not a bad idea.

Make sure you get enough sleep during the week so you're not dragging when it's time to work. This sleepy feeling can really drive you nuts.

Don't put yourself in that position and just go to bed early and get rest.

5. Listen to Music

If it's not a distraction, try listening to music. This is a little trick I used to do at my former workplace, and it made work so much more fun. A little light background music can create the perfect work atmosphere.

Have you ever heard elevator music in the office? Like at your dentist's office or if you visited an office building?

People do this, and it actually can lead to better focus!

6. Invest in Ergonomic Equipment

Nothing can hurt more (literally) than an uncomfortable work desk. If you can afford it, invest in some ergonomic equipment like an ergo desk, chair, keyboard, and mouse pad. When I switched to an ergo workstation, I felt so much better.

No more neck and back pain. My leg stopped falling asleep. It was just better all around. Consider this.

7. Stretching

I've mentioned this a few times already, but stretching is very helpful if you are sitting at work all day. It's super easy to do while working at home, and you can do it during breaks or while you're working.

It makes your body feel great. Try taking a five-minute break every hour or couple of hours and do some light stretching.

8. Play with your Pets

If you have pets at home, try playing with them during a work break.

When I pet and play with my cat, it's so relaxing and enjoyable. It's a much-needed break for me. Do this for a few minutes and watch how you get energy from this simple activity.

9. Family Time

If you work from home while your family is there, this can be tough. It can be difficult to set boundaries, hard to focus, and there are other obstacles that may arise while your 4-year old is running around.

So build in family time.

This is a break where you can connect with your loved ones. That way you can give them some attention, take a brain break, and enjoy this fun change of pace.

Our Take

You don't have to apply all these tips into your life. Take your favorites and try them out to see how you like them. It really doesn't take all 9 tips to make an impact. Whether you're working from home or not, these ideas can help you gain your sanity back while working in an office setting.