Working from home can be a bit of a challenge.

Yes, there’s the freedom to sleep in, work in your PJs, take a shower at 1pm if you feel like it, and take some time off kinda whenever but how much freedom is too much freedom?

Pompom Hat (similar) Vintage coat (similar) - Leggings (similar) - Clogs (Sandgrens) - DIY Tote (Klumhouse)

I’ve worked in offices, had part-time jobs, been a consultant and I am now my own boss, so I can safely say that I know what I’m talking about. But even more so considering that I’m spending this month of March in Geneva, working at one of my clients' office for a one month long 40-hours a week contract.

I do this every year, and, besides it being a great opportunity to connect with fellow translators, it’s a perfect way to take inventory of my work habits.

It’s going to be 4 years since I quit my job at a creative agency to fly across the world and become my own boss. 4 years of testing the waters, making decisions, changing my mind, and trying again.

I can now look back on these experiments and figure out what I would totally do again, and what I would avoid at all cost.

And amongst those revelations, the freelance hack I’m the most proud of to this day is… my fake commute.

On some days, I get up, get dressed and walk to my neighborhood coffee shop for a warm cup of chai, to-go and sip it on my way back home, sometimes making a little detour through the park (and even listening to the latest episode of my current favorite podcast). It’s the perfect way to transition from home life to work life. The fresh air chases away the last drops of sleepiness and the exercise energizes and motivates me to get started.

What makes it even better is the fact that I now have a commute buddy.

It wasn’t too hard to convince Octave to get up a little earlier if it meant getting coffee and his favorite financier.

When he comes with me, we usually seat down and take some time to catch up. It's actually really interesting to see how those conversations can be so much different from the ones we have at home (you might remember that we also meet at the coffee shop do do our accounting).

I actually received a text from him one afternoon (it was Wednesday morning in PDX) last week in which he said he missed me and wanted to meet me for coffee!

Do you work from home? Is there a secret hack you want to share with us?

Pictures by Octave Zangs for Conscious by Chloé.