If you’re about to begin working at home for the first time, or perhaps you already work from home and realise that it’s not as easy as you initially thought.
While working from home is the dream for many people, it can sometimes be hard to be productive, to motivate yourself, and to get things done in the right amount of time. If you’re working for yourself this can be even harder.
Here are some tips for working from home:
Set aside a place for work
Not only will you usually be able to deduct most of this space from your taxes, but it will help you get into the mindset of work as soon as you step into that place. It’s estimated that around 26 million Americans have a home office, while just 3.4 million are claiming deductions from them. Check out United Carlton for office supplies such as copiers and printers so your home office has everything you need.
This will ensure that as soon as you step inside that space you’re immediately in the right frame of mind. The trick is to only use this room for work. That means no eating lunch at your desk, no surfing the web (if you can) and certainly no napping. Try to avoid working late at night or in front of the tv (or worse in bed), as you’ll soon find that your whole house feels like your office.
Create a schedule
When you’re working from home it can be tricky to work at the right times. It’s easy to find yourself available at all times of the day, and working far more hours than you would usually work. Sure, if you’re working for yourself this can be a great way to get your business off the ground, but if you’re working for someone else you’re probably overworking.
Use Google Calendar to create a schedule you can stick with, and tell your coworkers and boss when you’ll be available and when you won’t (and stick to it).
Make lists
It’s not enough to make a schedule of when you’ll work, it’s also important that you know what you need to do each day. While some people make a list in the morning, it’s a good idea to make this the last thing you do each day, so when you sit down for work the next day you automatically know what needs to be accomplished that day.
Instead of just writing a list, take the time to prioritise it. Break the list into things which are the most important, things that are a little important, and things that can wait. You should have three key tasks which are prioritised and you should know exactly why they’re they’re the most important. Tell yourself that as long as you’ve accomplished the most important tasks on your list you’ve had a productive day.
Get changed
When you work from home it can be tempting to stay in pyjamas or wear sweats all day. But the simple act of taking a shower and getting changed can make your home office feel more like you’re working from a real office and remind you that you need to work.
