20 Work From Home Mistakes to Avoid

One of the first things you'll realize when you start working from home is that, well, you're at home. If you're not used to having the freedom of working on your own, your productivity can drop because you're not working as hard as you should be. Just because you're at home, it doesn't mean you can slack off. In fact, more eyes will be watching you if you're remote working. Put in a full day just like you would in an office.

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Remember to take breaks. Sitting at a computer for eight hours straight is terrible for you. Get up and walk around often. It's easy to spread your work out and take little breaks — and it can make you more productive. Need a way to remind yourself when to work and when to take a break? Try the pomodoro technique.

Keep an eye on the clock and don't work more than you would during a typical day in the office. When you're done, step away from all things business and enjoy your personal time. Emails and everything else can wait until tomorrow. Try to keep a regular schedule as well. And don't forget to take a vacation. It'll help make you more productive.

Focus on the task at hand. Don't try to make lunch, do the laundry, play with the dog and work all at the same time. If you have work to do, concentrate on that.

It's easy to get distracted by things. Facebook? Close that window. Email? Shut it down. Phone ringing? Let voice mail take care of it. The fewer distractions, the more you'll get done. Most things can wait an hour or two for your attention.

Another benefit of working from home? You won't have to listen to those really annoying office phrases.

If you're self-employed and work on a computer, you may not have an IT department worrying about your data. You'll have to take care of it your yourself. The most important thing: backup your data. Copy important files to an external hard drive at the end of each day. In addition, you should have an offsite backup that stores your data in the cloud. Services like Dropbox and Backblaze are good options.

If you work at home, especially if you're self-employed, there are a number of tax benefits. You can write off things like office space, your cell phone and a portion of your utilities and car usage. If you want to take full advantage of these deductions, hire a qualified person to do your taxes so you won't miss out on what is essentially free money.

If you're running a small business, you need to keep good financial records. The easiest way (trust me!) is to reconcile everything at least once a week, if not daily. Don't wait until your tax filing deadline to do the entire year. Worst task ever.

RELATED: Financial mistakes we're making that are digging us deeper in the hole.

Sure, no one will see you sitting there in your PJs, but it will help your productivity if you dress for work. That doesn't mean strict business attire. Just be presentable enough that if someone calls you for a video chat, you'll look professional.

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Working from home is surprisingly difficult. Pets and kids want attention. The phone rings. A neighbour stops by to say hello. You need to have a dedicated and quiet workspace. When you're in your home office, you're there to work. And if there are too many distractions, you can just close the door.

RELATED: We share our best work from home secrets.

Working from home is great. The bathroom is close by. The coffee is cheap and made the way you like it. And there are lots of things to snack on. But grazing all day on snack foods isn't good for your health or your waistline. Stay out of the kitchen unless you're grabbing a coffee or making lunch.

Here are some other surprising reasons you're gaining weight.

If you're tempted to graze, then keep it healthy. Make a healthy lunch and snacks the night before. Then, when you find yourself in the kitchen, help yourself to something that is good for you.

SEE ALSO: Vitamin supplements: 20 cheap foods to eat instead.

If you're focused on work, you might not notice the hours flying by. But sitting for hours on end is bad for your body. As we mentioned, you should get up and go for a short stroll — not to the kitchen! — frequently. On top of that, you should take longer breaks that give you time to walk around the block or through a nearby park. Not only is this an excellent way to burn more calories during your work day, it's also good for your brain. Who knows what ideas will come to you!

Having a long to-do list isn't very productive. It can be very discouraging as it may seem impossible to complete. The key is to focus on a few things. Online list managers like Workflowy will help you concentrate on a couple of essential tasks while hiding the rest from your eyes.

OK, maybe not a trophy or a medal. But maybe buying yourself a little treat. It'll help you feel accomplished at the end of a gruelling workweek of putting out fires you didn't start!

For the time being, maybe still avoid leaving the house. Walks are OK though. #SocialDistancing

When the pandemic clears, try this:

If you're working on a laptop, there's no reason you have to stay in your home office. Join other digital nomads in a coffee shop, library or digital hub. A change of scenery will inspire you. And don't forget that if you have a job you can do from anywhere, you can head to a whole new city or country!

If you're part of a team, schedule video calls for some face-to-face time. It'll remind people that you exist and you'll feel like a valued member of the group. It's also a good idea to have the occasional meeting in person.

Take advantage of your freedom. It's OK to go grocery shopping Wednesday afternoon, just make sure you make up the time elsewhere. And if you want to save a few bucks while shopping, take note of these super easy ways to slash your grocery bill.

A lot of supervisors are distrustful of employees who work at home. If they can't keep tabs on you, they may assume you're goofing off. Make sure you meet all your work goals and keep meticulous records of your hours and what you've accomplished, just in case you're challenged.

When your home and office are the same place, it can be tempting to work all the time. But resist the temptation. Always take two days off to recharge. It doesn't have to be Saturday and Sunday, either. Just remember that you're not on call and you're entitled to a weekend.

RELATED: How to practice self-care during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.