Seven Tips for Working from Home
Whether you are an entrepreneur, a freelancer, or simply telecommuting to save energy and time; working from home has seen a huge surge in popularity since the advent of the internet. Now, that we are able to stay connected with our teams 24/7 from the comfort of our own homes, a whole new business structure has evolved.
But even though working from home has many benefits, there are also challenges. It can be difficult to stay motivated, organized, and efficient when you are working in the same place you sleep. So I have compiled a list of seven tips that you can use to make your work-at-home experience positive and productive:
1. Set Your Alarm
Even if you don’t have to be to the office at a certain time, you should set your alarm at the same time every day, and be ready to work by a certain time. Maintain “office hours” for yourself, preferably during the times that the rest of the world is doing business, so that are accessible to your clients and/or employers.
2. Take a Shower
This is just as much for your benefit as it is for anyone who might be living with you. Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you can sit around in your sweats for two weeks. You should get up every day, take a shower, and get ready as if you were going to meet someone. This will help you stay alert and help you feel motivated to make phone calls and make other kinds of contact.
3. Create Space
Don’t plan on working from your lounger. Make sure you have a space that is set up for real work. That means supplies, equipment, work space, and a comfortable, ergonomic chair. Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take your job seriously. Keeping a space dedicated just for work will help you put on your game face when it is time to buckle down.
4. Draw Lines
Make sure everyone in your home knows when and where you work. Your desk is not a place for the kids to do their homework or your spouse to fold and stack the laundry. Let everyone living with you know that you have certain times that you must be able to work without interruptions. When you work from home there is a tendency for people to think that you can drop what you’re doing. While flexibility is a great benefit of working at home, you’ll find yourself plagued with requests to do things at all hours and your work momentum will suffer if you don’t explicitly tell people that you are simply not available during certain times.
5. Know When to Stop
One of the biggest risks in working from home is not being able to stop and walk away. Your computer is staring at your 24/7, and there is always something else you can do. Being able to turn your computer and cell phone off and just relax is as important as being able to stay productive at work.
6. Turn off the TV
It is easy to flip the TV on and keep it on all day for background noise or news updates, but it can actually be very disruptive to you when you are trying to focus on your work. Plus, if clients or co-workers call and hear Days of Our Lives or Wheel of Fortune in the background, it doesn’t exactly instill faith in your professionalism.
7. Go Outside Every Day
When you work from home, days can go by without you leaving the house. This is simply not healthy. You need to take at least an hour a day to go outside and get some fresh air and sunshine—no matter how busy your schedule is. Don’t just roll out of bed and start working for 12 hours, ordering a pizza for nourishment. Take walks, go to the gym, play ball with your kids for an hour after school. You’ll find yourself feeling refreshed and much more focused after you do.
As you can see, the key to being productive when you work from home is keeping yourself focused and able to maintain a sense of business when it is time to work. Do you work from home? If so, what are some of the ways you have found to keep organized and productive?
