Oh, the perils of working from home. A lot of work distractions–surfing the internet, texting, chatting on the phone, etc.–will follow you whether you are in a corporate office or your own living room. However, the television is pretty unique to the home office. While YouTube follows you wherever you go, there is something so compelling about a Die Hard movie marathon, Days of Our Lives, or continuous SyFy Network-watching on the big screen of your television. These things beckon to you from the coziest spot in the house, and it can be hard to say no when the alternative is the pile of work ahead of you.

If you took time off over the holidays, you might have gotten used to hearing the buzz of chatter on the screen and soft glow of plasma, and a quiet house might seem a little too cold and empty. You might turn on the morning news to combat post-holiday loneliness, but the next thing you know you’ll be three episodes into a Law and Order marathon, while your work either suffers or doesn’t get done at all.

So, how do you put down the remote?

• Turn on some music. Not too loud, if you are taking phone calls or writing. Fill your house with your favorite energizing melodies and things will seem a little less dull.
• Get dressed–all the way to your shoes.If you are still in your PJs, your brain might think you are still on vacation and need to cozy up on the couch.
• Warm up. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere you might need a little bit of heat to keep you moving this time of year. Light a fire or crank the thermostat for an hour or two. Open the windows to let the sun in.
• Put Christmas away. It’s over. Sad but true. Get your environment out of holiday mode and your work ethic might just return to normal too.

I promise, Comedy Central and all those “Best of the Decade … ” shows will still be there when you are done with work for the day!

Work From Home Resources:

• “Fighting Distractions and Staying Productive” at Freelance Folder
• “Distractions, Distractions, Distractions” at Freelance Apple
• “9 Tips for Staying Sane While Working From Home … “ at Freelance Switch
• “Fighting Distractions and Being Productive” at Suite 101
• “Dealing With Distractions” at SitePoint

Working from home can either liberate you or weigh you down — it’s all about how you do it. Having worked from home for over a decade, Tamara Rice has learned what works and what just creates more work. Tamara is one of several freelance writers on the oDesk Blog team.