March 08, 2025 • By KWD
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While working from home is not new, it is more prevalent than ever. And it appears to be here to stay. According to a Microsoft estimate from 2021, 67 percent of workers are looking forward to some type of in-person employment. However, 73% of workers desire a flexible work environment that allows for and encourages full-time or part-time work-from-home arrangements.
If you've ever worked from home — particularly in the last year and a half — you're well aware of how critical it is to set yourself up for success. Perhaps you've invested in a computer chair; transformed a whole room into an office; or optimized your desk, kitchen table, or bed to ensure your comfort and productivity. Whichever approach you use, you are not alone: Even career gurus who work from home must determine what works best for them.
Here are five strategies that career and hiring experts use to push through their own work-from-home days — and how they may help you do the same.
Designate a Specific Area for Home-Based Work
Whether you have your own home office or camp out at the dining room table, having a space dedicated to work is critical. While she is quick to admit that she is not "perfect" at adhering to her own rules, Susan Wilma confines her work to a few specific areas in her home.
“I thought working from home would be a dream come true, and it was for a time,” Susan Wilma, who began working from home full-time during the epidemic, said while speaking about productivity tips for Working from Home. “It reminded me of summer as a child – watching movies at unexpected hours and spending the entire day in pajamas. However, as 2021 approached, I noticed that my apathy toward social interaction had reached an unhealthy level.” She now adheres to a general set of principles throughout the workweek.
Maryan AlOthaibi, who has worked remotely from her home since 2015, concurs. She confines her work to her home office and applies the concept to school assignments as well. “Working from home with children can make it difficult to eliminate distractions, but I reduce them by designating locations for the children to play or attend school, which keeps us from distracting one another,” she explained.
Establish a Routine for the Morning
Raise your hand if you miss the morning commute grind. Nobody? Indeed, I believed so. However, developing a pattern for transitioning into work mode while at home can be really beneficial — and there is lots of room to customize the plan to your specific needs. For Ashley, this entails dressing as if she were heading to an office. “I also get dressed daily in business casual or professional attire because I feel that even when you are at home, you must adopt a work mindset,” she explained.
Wilma, too, believes in the efficacy of a consistent morning ritual. “When I awake, I immediately take our dog (Margo!) out and perform a ten-minute power clean in each room. When possible, I aim to maximize my momentum,” she explained. “Typically, I dress once the place is neat. Nothing extravagant; often, shorts and a tee-shirt are worn, along with some mascara. That morning regimen instills in me the attitude of 'work, Wilma.'"
Locate the Tools and Apps That Work for You
While fancy gadgets and flashy apps are fantastic, sometimes the best tools for getting through the workday are the ones you already know work. “I use Apple Notes and Google Workspace exclusively,” Reed-Clark explains. “However, my Calendly account is one of my favorites. It's been quite beneficial to have assistance, given the volume of people I serve. Additionally, I am able to incorporate buffer time between meetings.”
She was also quick to point out which apps did not function for her or harmed her productivity. “I've removed email and Slack from my phone,” she explained. “How much I craved the buzzes, dings, and lit-up displays is simply sickening.”
Fatma prefers tried-and-true methods. “I am an old-fashioned, jot-it-down, to-do-list woman,” she explained.
Continually Remind Yourself of Your Objectives
While working from home, it's easy to lose motivation - between distractions and finding things to clean, it seems as like there's always something else to do. However, remaining focused on your professional objective and values might help you power through those lulls.
“Working from home has had no effect on my day-to-day or overall philosophy,” Maryam said of her employer, which prioritizes diversity and inclusion in all aspects of staffing and hiring. “My commitment remains to bring varied perspectives to the table.”
Working from home has also solidified for Maryam the ways in which such a setup might be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creating a pleasant work environment. “In the last year, I've witnessed an increase in the number of professionals who feel empowered to challenge the existing quo and demand that their employers care about their mental health, flexibility, and DEI,” she said of her customers. “Don't get me wrong: the bar for empathy in a business setting is low in a capitalist culture, but we're more comfortable challenging (and abandoning) certain institutions and rules.”
Communicate your expectations to everyone who will be staying at your house.
Naturally, you can work from home and yet have "company." Assure that your roommates, family members, even dogs (well, maybe not dogs) respect your personal space during business hours. Simply because you work from home does not imply that you are at home.
If you share space with another adult who works from home, you may need to establish ground rules regarding meeting times, shared desks and chairs, and quiet times.
Amr Bonettes discusses how he accomplishes tasks despite the presence of others.
"If anyone else is going to be at home while you work, they simply need to understand that when you're in your 'office' (in my case, my signal to the family is wearing headphones), you're working — even if it looks and feels like you're just hanging out at home."
