People who work in offices tend to imagine that working from home is one long, cosy day in pyjamas with a cat on your lap. Some days it is. Most days, if you're not careful, it's a slow drift towards talking to the kettle and realising at 4pm that you haven't been outside, spoken to a human or eaten anything that wasn't toast.
I've been freelancing from home in London for nearly five years now, in a series of rented flats of steadily decreasing size. Here's what's helped me stay productive and, more importantly, sane.
I've been freelancing from home in London for nearly five years now, in a series of rented flats of steadily decreasing size. Here's what's helped me stay productive and, more importantly, sane.
Have a start time, even if nobody's checking
The flexibility of freelancing is wonderful, but having no structure at all is surprisingly tiring. I start at roughly the same time every day and I get dressed before I sit down. It sounds trivial, but putting on actual clothes tells your brain that the working day has begun.
Make a workspace, however small
For about two years my office was the end of the kitchen table, which meant packing everything away every evening and unpacking it every morning. It wasn't ideal, but having a defined space - even a temporary one - really helps separate "work" from "home". If you can, have a spot you only use for work. If you can't, a ritual of setting up and clearing away does a similar job.
Get out of the flat
London is full of good places to work if you know where to look. Public libraries are underrated: free, quiet and usually warm. The British Library is wonderful if you can get a reader pass, though you'll need a proper reason to use the reading rooms. And there are plenty of cafes that are happy to have you for a few hours.
On cafe etiquette: buy something every hour or so, don't take up a table for four on your own at lunchtime, and don't take phone calls. It's their business, not your office.
On cafe etiquette: buy something every hour or so, don't take up a table for four on your own at lunchtime, and don't take phone calls. It's their business, not your office.
Watch out for loneliness
Nobody really warns you about this. Office life has lots of small, low-stakes interactions - a chat by the kettle, a moan about the trains - that you don't notice until they've gone. I try to have at least one work-related conversation with a real person every day, even if it's just a phone call with a client, and I schedule lunches with other freelancers once or twice a month. A lot of us are in the same boat.
Know when to stop
The flip side of working from home is that work is always there. The laptop is on the table, the inbox is on your phone, and there's always one more thing you could do. I now have a hard stop most evenings, and I close the laptop and put it out of sight. It's harder than it sounds, but burning out isn't good for you or your clients.
What about coworking?
I've tried a couple of coworking spaces and I can see the appeal, especially for the social side. For me the cost has been hard to justify, particularly on top of London rent. If your income is steady, it's worth trying a day pass to see if it suits you. Otherwise, libraries and the occasional coffee shop do the job.
The truth is that there's no single right way to do it. The trick is to notice what's working and what isn't, and change it before you find yourself having a heart-to-heart with the kettle.
The truth is that there's no single right way to do it. The trick is to notice what's working and what isn't, and change it before you find yourself having a heart-to-heart with the kettle.
