Recently I bought a iMac and a Mac Book. Aside from the fact that I travel a lot, I bought the Mac Book so that I would have the ability to leave my home office and work elsewhere. Getting out of the office can wonders for helping creative block, meeting new people, giving you a change of scenery, and much more. Getting out of the office is something I probably don’t do enough of and I’m sure many of you are the same way.
As full time freelancers it is easy for us to go days without ever leaving our house. The worst part of though, is we get so used to it. Sometimes I go a week or so without ever even getting in my car. If it wasn’t for my dog there might be weeks where I never even stepped outside.
It was when I bought my Mac Book that I decided I would start spending one day a week working out of the office. There are several coffee shops, hot spots, and parks with wireless access nearby. So, I really had no excuse for getting off my fat ass and working out of the office.
Spend One Day a Week Out of the Office
One day a week might not sound like much, but you would be surprised at just how much it can do for you. Just having that one day where you get out of your day to day routine can really energize you. It is almost like getting a mini weekend in the middle of your week.
Since I started doing this regular day away from the office I have been going out for the better part of every Wednesday. This hump day outing is nice because it seems to prevent me from getting worn out by the middle of the week. In fact, getting out for that one seems to clear my mind and helps give me new perspectives on things.
Reasons to Work Away From Home
Aside from just being able to get out of the house, there are a number of other reasons why working away from home from time to time is a great idea. Check out these reasons:
Clear Creative Block
When you follow the same routine day in and day out it is easy to put on creative blinders and not even know it. You get so caught up in you work and your workspace that there is nothing around to inspire you. By simply moving outside of your standard workplace you can really get your creative juices flowing. It really is an amazing way to clear your head.
Networking with Others
If you start to frequent the same wireless spot or coffee shop every week, odds are people will get to know you and what you do. As a result, you are setting yourself up for some potentially powerful word of mouth marketing. Just think about how many other small business owners corporate types that girl at the coffee shop talks to everyday. She is bound to come across people who are working on their website, starting a blog, need a logo, etc. You’d be surprised how much information people share with baristas.
Getting Away from Distractions
If you have a lot going on at home with your family or roommates, getting out of the office for a day can really up your productivity. There is no reason you should have struggle through your work day working with distractions every step of the way. Doing so will only result in you being irritated and not getting everything you want done. By working away from your office you will be free of those distraction and be able to concentrate much better. You might be surprised at just how much more you get done with out all of the distractions.
My Final Thoughts
I spent the last year working from a laptop at internet cafe in Costa Rica. It is only now that I am back in the states working from a home office every day that I realize how much I miss working out of the office. That one day a week really does amazing things. Even though Im working when I am out of the office it feels almost as though I am just playing around on the computer all day. It really is like a mini weekend in the middle of the week.
Your Thoughts
How many of you out there already do something like this? WHat made you get started on working out of the office? How often do you go out? What are some of the benefits you have experienced with this?
22 Comments
This is an excellent post , & i completely agree with you. Good write up pal!
Danny, enjoyed the post!
I work as an in-house web designer for a mid-sized company. I would love for my bosses to let me work out of our office a few days a month. Do you have any suggestions?
Check out the 4 hour work week book. He has some good suggestions on how to talk to your boss about that exact sort of thing.
Lately, I’ve been making the point of going for an hour walk every day, rain or shine. It’s amazing how effective a little fresh air and exercise can be when you’re creatively blocked.
I need to make myself do that as well. Even just a 15 min walk would be great, but Im just in that aspect I guess.
I’ve always wanted a laptop for that reason. Many times, I find myself having no design of working because of boredom. Working in cafes, parks, etc. would be great I guess.
Absolutely agree with this, getting out of your office, be it home office or an actual office building is very important. Most people are amazed by just how productive they can be out of the office.
I just did this for the first time last week and I couldn’t believe how much work I got done in 3 hours at Starbucks.
The only reason I left my house was because my husband had friends over for 10+ hours! (He plays Warhammer 40K, the table top game and apparently this game takes this long?!)
I was annoyed at first, but it actually ended up working out well. I do this at least once a week now.
I haven’t done it yet but it is something I want to do in the future, sometimes sitting in the same old spot gets a tad irritating, I have to take lots of breaks to keep myself from going mad.
I’m moving soon so that might freshen things up a little, but if not then I’m definitely getting a laptop.
I often get stuck in hermit mode. I try to go for a short walk each day with my 3y/o but the wind blows like a banshee where we live and it’s quite miserable at times. I’m looking forward to trying out your suggestion this fall however, when my daughter starts preschool. I’ll have to drive her to/fro twice a week anyway - might as well pick one of those days to stay out and see how it goes! Thanks for the insights.
By the way, what part of Costa Rica did you live in? My husband and I visited Tamarindo and Tabacon last year. It was great.
Yeah, having a mandatory reason to get out of the house should really help. I would try to stay out of the house at least one of those days and see how it goes. Sure beats just driving back and forth.
I lived in Puerto Viejo, on the Caribbean side. Nowhere near Tamarindo. Cool place though!
Yeah, couldn’t agree more with this advice, even though I need to make sure that I take it more often myself! I try to make time for a walk, or anything that gets me outside, but actually making the commitment to work outside of home/office rather than just getting out for a break makes a great deal of sense.
One time when I do make the effort is on the occasions when I’ve let email stack up too much. Then I go to a coffee shop that *doesn’t* have wireless access. I’m never more effective at efficiently clearing an inbox than when there are no other distractions. Something that might actually work on a wider basis - no web connection for short periods can really make a huge difference to focusing on a specific task.
Totally. Working without wires is another great way to get things done. I find myself needing to do that from time to time as well.
That’s exactly why I got a laptop, sitting and working on the same spots for weeks drives me real mad sometimes, it really feels great to hang out and work at the same time. There have been times when I’d go more than weeks without stepping out of the house, and I’d got pretty used to it, but now that I’ve got a laptop, it’s been much better now, a little bit of movement really boosts up creativity. Sometimes when I’m too bored or just not feeling like it, I just hit the couch with my laptop and watch tv while keeping an eye on the laptop screen, it really wears down the pressure and helps come up with fresher ideas. It’s surprising how a little bit of change in the surroundings can effect your work, in a good way of course
great article, i spend a majority of my time working in cafes and bars. you do meet lots of interesting people and it really helps with the creative flow. the 2 strangest places ive ended up working was on a wooden log in a temple in tokyo and on the beaches of denmark, find the internet in the weirdest places these days.
I apologize, but my comment has nothing to do with your post. When you say that you are “one of the raddest creatives this side of the Mason-Dixon line”, do you mean MY side, or the other side?
..isn’t teh internets funh?
I have working in my room (”office’ in your case) - even going to a cafe or doing whatever I need to do outside, in a part, on a bench, clears my mind and the different atmosphere just keeps you motivated.
Brilliant post mate, separating home-space and work-space is quite important I need to try out your suggestions. Maybe I should try to venture off to a local starbucks…
Yah, I got a laptop about 3 months ago when I moved back to the states from Venezuela - relocating to the Orlando Florida area. I was excited to find that a free Wi Fi Cafe was down the street, and there is loads of space there to hang out, also great food and coffee.
I spend about half my day there now during the week. I go either in the morning or afternoon to switch things up. Then when I don’t go I have this nostalgic feeling of playing hookey. I love the freedom the WiFi cafe brings. I get away from the cartoons that my 2 year old son has on all day. It’s tough to edit bog post with Sponge Bog on in the background.
My biggest problem with with having a laptop now is that my neck is killing me. I think I gave up ergonimics for mobility. Thanks and great post.
Yepp, working a bit in a different environment does great things to your head…I can’t agree more! I used to work in a chill-out pub for a year on a laptop - and got a hell lot of clients by getting to know the proper people. As of today I rent an apartment at the edge of the town, near a hill, a forest and a large meadow. The greatest part of this is when I work till late night or early in the morning the sunrises are incredibly wonderful! I even saw a bunny the other day
I got a large window and I set my desk up so that it faces the beautiful panorama that comes with the rent 
So if I raise my sight a bit from the display I have this large and wonderful ‘wallpaper’ in front of me. And that is my source of energy when I stay at home.
Getting out is a really wonderful thing and I agree that you should force yourself sometimes. There are some awesome Co-working spots popping up all over the world. http://www.indyhall.org/ is in the Philadelphia area and filled with super cool computer people.
I am a beginner freelancer, I design, develop and write but I havent earned enough to afford a laptop for me.
Therefore I dont go out at all
I usually work at home or at my university lab if I get time there…
I really need to earn more and buy myself a laptop as soon as possible, My weight is increasing, my health is getting worse and I have to go out and sit in the park alone for house to have some ideas for designs and then I come back home and design them.,…
Please pray for me, I really need a laptop.
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