Whether you’re your own boss, a freelancer, running your own small business, or simply telecommuting, working from home isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Indeed, it’s not always easy to be efficient when you’re working from home, because you can tend to spread yourself more thinly than in the office.

For my part, I try to reconcile housework with my job, so that I don’t find myself overwhelmed by the mess and dirty dishes every evening. But when it’s time to work, I work! Here are a few tips on how to be efficient at home (most of which, by the way, are productivity tips for everyone).

1 – SET YOURSELF REASONABLE HOURS
I insist on being reasonable. When you’re self-employed, there’s a clear tendency to ignore the passing hours in order to complete a project, get as much done as possible, or because there’s alaways something to do. These long days are exhausting and unproductive in the long run. You lose focus and perspective. To be more efficient, it’s better to have a defined work schedule.

2 – WORK IN A TIDY WORKSPACE
Forget about working in bed if you want to be efficient! The best thing to do is to settle down at your desk and, above all, keep it tidy. It’s hard to be productive when you’re working at a cluttered desk piled high with files, notebooks and loose sheets of paper. Either you get into the habit of tidying up your desk at the end of the day, or you tidy up your desk before you start work in the morning. A tidy desk means a freer mind for better work!

3 – DEFINE A REALISTIC TASK LIST
This is the first thing to do when you start (unless you’ve already defined your weekly to-do lists during your Sunday evening organization). Drawing up your main to-do list is essential if you are to be effective during the day. Start by defining the must-do task of the day, then the next two main tasks. Then you realistically list (the aim is to get to the end of the to-do, not to list as many tasks as possible on one page) all the tasks you’d like to complete once you’ve ticked off the top three.

4 – TAKE REAL BREAKS
It’s tempting to work all at once to get more done. However, taking several short breaks can give you a second wind and a sense of perspective. Sometimes we’re forced to work with our heads in the sand all day long, but it’s better not to. A real break to go for a walk, meditate or have a healthy snack (that doesn’t make you want to sleep) is essential every day.

5 – WORK WITH A TIMER
If you need to double your efficiency, I recommend working on one task (and one task only) with a timer. For my part, I work flat out on a task for 30 minutes, cutting out all distractions. I avoid doing more than 30 minutes “at full speed” because I know that my productivity drops off after that.

6 – SET ASIDE TIME FOR E-MAILS
Rather than keeping your e-mails open all day and cutting into your productivity to read/answer e-mails as they come in, it’s better to plan “e-mail” sessions during the day. This could be in the late morning, when productivity slows down a little, or in the early afternoon, before you get back to work. Simply choose a time slot that’s outside your “peak productivity” slot.

7 – POSSIBLY INCLUDE A “HOUSEWORK” SLOT
This is the problem with working from home. You think you’ll be able to throw in a load of laundry, do a bit of washing up or sweep up. Personally, I like to give myself a “housework” slot when my productivity slumps. I take 15 minutes to tidy up, clean up and tidy up around me, and that gives me energy (and stops me being distracted by the surrounding mess, which interferes with my concentration).

8 – STAY OPTIMISTIC AND FORGIVING
Whether something unexpected comes up or you’ve overestimated the day’s to-do list, you have to try and stay indulgent with yourself. No two days are alike, and that’s the beauty of it! If one day you’re less productive than another, don’t beat yourself up.

Just try to stay optimistic and positive! Just because you’re a little less motivated one day doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be the same the next. The same goes for making a mistake or hearing bad news (a contract not renewed, not won, a drop in sales, etc.). Let’s be kind to ourselves, and keep on innovating, being creative and, above all, optimistic!

And what about you? Do you have any tips for ensuring your efficiency at work?