Tips for How to Work at Home From the Professionals
1. Get an Early Start
There are benefits to the morning commute. The main one is that it gives you time to wake up and put yourself in a mindset for working. The transition from the pillow to the computer at home doesn’t have the same effect. It helps to get started as soon as possible. Get to work before you can begin to feel sluggish and unmotivated.
back to menu ↑2. Treat it Like Going to the Office
Being in an office puts you in a productive mindset, and you can do something similar when working from home. Do everything you usually do to prepare yourself for the office at home; set the alarm, have some coffee, and put on some nice clothes. Some internet browsers let you have different profiles for work and home to put yourself in that work mindset further.
back to menu ↑3. Have a Structured Work Day
Being in charge of yourself is the hardest part of working from home. You can quickly lose focus without a schedule to keep. That’s why you want to put together one of your own. Set up reminders and events in your personal calendar to remind you when to change tasks and do something new.
back to menu ↑4. Have a Dedicated Work Space
Not working in the office doesn’t mean you can’t work in an office. Have a dedicated space in your home you use for work. Don’t work from the couch or somewhere else you do a lot of relaxing. Set up a desk in a room and keep it clean and professional.
back to menu ↑5. Get Out Every So Often
If your home office isn’t doing it for you, then take your telecommuting to the next level by getting out of the house. Spaces with public Wi-Fi like a coffee shop or library are a great way to simulate the feeling of leaving home to go to the office, even though they aren’t traditional office spaces.
back to menu ↑6. Make It Harder to Spend Time Goofing Off
Social media is designed for quick and easy browsing, which makes it a serious productivity killer. Make things easier on yourself by removing all browser shortcuts to social media and log out of your account. You might also want to consider working out of a private browsing/incognito tab to make things even more difficult. Doing this will help to keep you on track as you get your work done and make it harder for you to spend your day scrolling Twitter and Facebook.
back to menu ↑Final Thoughts
Working from home might take a little extra work on your part, but you’ll be fine once you lay the groundwork. Create an “office” space in your home and treat working from home the same as working in an office.
