Freelancer Tips For a Better Work Environment

I don’t know about you, but I find it so hard to concentrate when it’s messy! I mean, I hate housework as much as the next girl, but it really zaps my motivation. A lot of us have unfortunate tendencies to put it off over and over again. Before you know it, there’s thick layers of dust and grime covering everything, yuck!

Over the past few months I’ve been spending a lot of time working from home (until it warms up, then I’m right down to the beach just a couple minutes down the road!). So I’ve really focus on getting the home office and spare bedroom getting just how I want it to keep my creative juices flowing. Cleaning in itself is such a big job though, as my boyfriend and I are both freelance, so here’s our top tips for keeping the office tidy for a better home office environment:

One habit you should try to get into is never leaving a room with empty hands. As a blogger, I know how easy it is to let dirty cups and plates pile up in your office. This is one of the things which was making all my cleaning tasks feel like a chore. Every time you leave a room, try to remember to pick some things up. These days, whenever I have to go down to the kitchen, I sweep my room for anything that needs to be washed. Plates and mugs are my biggest sin, but this goes for clothes, bedding and anything else. When you start doing this, cleaning will become a sequence of little tasks, rather than one big chore.

My first tip ties in rather nicely with the second. Look for little windows of time with which to clean, rather than committing to one task at a time (this is why this particular applies to freelancers and full-time bloggers!). If you’re an organised person, then you may feel like you need the time for each separate task. (This is especially true for big things like carpet cleaning – kinda regretting the white carpet in the office now..). Get into the habit of looking for things to clean. Even if you’re busy and can only spare a few minutes, perhaps in between client calls, use those minutes to make a start on one of your cleaning tasks.

My final piece of advice is to declutter! Even if you have no trouble keeping on top of your cleaning tasks, you could probably do with a big clear-out. I know my home office/spare bedroom ended up being host to stuff I don’t need or use anymore. It’s so distracting, but now I’m glad the dumping ground is now gone. If there’s a lot of stuff which you won’t be able to shift, then donate them to charities. With anything left over, throw it out and recycle as much as possible – it’s soooo satisfying, trust me!

Try making these three tips part of your home cleaning regime. It might be hard to shake off bad habits, but keep reminding yourself and you’ll get there. After a while, having a gorgeous home will be easier than you ever imagined!