I thought working from home was going to be a nice change of pace from the normal cube farm most of us work in. And it has been, but its hard. Its hard staying focused and not getting distracted by housework, the pets, the game system, etc. The usual tricks and advise all help, advise like having a room dedicated to work (a home office) so you can shut the door, having a routine to start the day (like showering, getting dressed, etc) being the most important. But the biggest trick I’ve found that that has helped me stay focused and get into a work mode is wearing shoes.

Thats right, shoes.

For the first month or so I was just wearing my slippers (we try to not wear shoes around the house) and just never felt like I was at work. But once I started wearing shoes all day, it made a world of difference. Now I get up, do my morning routine and put on my shoes. Then I head to my home office and I’m mentally ready for the work day.