Working Not-From-Home

Working from home is a whole lot of fun. It is super convenient, you have most everything you need, and it doesn’t require getting dressed – there are so many days that a t-shirt and running shorts are my work attire 😉 . While I love working from home, sometimes you just need to not-work-from home (aka: you get cabin fever!) Up until now I didn’t have the best laptop for travel/ working in other places and I am super partial to my desktop because it has a huge screen (it is like 24 inches) and my comfy chair. But recently we purchased a Surface Pro so that I can have a powerful computer on the go and it is so helpful to get switch things up.

Last week Bruce and I broke free from our home office and camped out at a coffee shop for the afternoon. We haven’t done that in awhile and we both knocked away quiet a few emails and things on our to-to list. It was a good change of scenery. I also made sure to throw in a couple of tubs of noosa in my bag for us to have an afternoon snack. I find that mid afternoon slump ALWAYS hits me hard and an afternoon snack helps re-energized and refocus! We love noosa in our house, it is a unique combination of sweet and tart taste plus a thick, velvety texture! It is also Colorado local with wholesome ingredients. I found it at our grocery store a couple years back with a sign that said “Colorado Proud” and I picked one up that day to try it. We’ve never bought any other yogurt since!

It was good for us to spend the afternoon working in a new location – switching things up helps your brain get out of the same rut and encourages new activity. Also, working out of a coffee shop isn’t only for those of us who work from home. Switching things up is important when you are at an office too. If you can get away for an afternoon to work in a new location, here are some tips for your time working not-from-home:

1. Pick a Location you Know: I’m all about finding new coffee shops and trying new places but this is not the time for that. Meet a friend for coffee in a new place to scope it out before deciding to work there. When you are going out for the morning/afternoon/day you want to make sure you know the space will be a good working environment.
2. Find Outlets: I always gravitate toward a place with an outlet just in case. It is best to make sure your lap top is charged before you go out but being near an outlet is always a good idea.
3. Bring Snacks: Like I mentioned above, make sure you bring a snack like noosa! You don’t realize how much you snack on food from your snack drawer or walk down to your kitchen. You don’t want to leave and hour into working because you got too hungry. Plan to camp out for awhile to really be productive.
4. Pack What you Need: Make sure you know yourself in coffee shop environments. I find the background noise of people and the music playing in the shop comforting. It helps me get my work done. Bruce however always brings headphones to listen to his own music to focus better. If you need headphones, make sure they are packed. Also bring your planner (or a notepad) and some pens so you can write things down while you are out. Fight the urge to over-pack as well. You don’t want to break your back or bring too much stuff that you are overwhelmed. Know the three things you are planning on working on and make sure you have what you need for that!
5. Buy Something: I feel like this should already be expected, but I am still throwing it out there. If you are going to a coffee shop or restaurant and working at a table you need to buy something while you are there. Grab a coffee or an iced tea to sip while you work. It is the respectful thing to do – you are taking up a table and using their internet.

Getting out of the office and into a coffee shop can really be just what you need to get focused and get out of your working rut. What are some of your favorite places to work?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.