Working from home is a prized privilege for some and a necessity for others due to domestic responsibilities they can’t ignore during the day. Although working from home has its obvious perks, the potential drawback is fighting to stay focused when surrounded with so many distractions and the absence of any oversight. But don’t let that stop you from pursuing a career that allows you to wear pajamas to the job. Learn how you can create a home office environment that promotes productivity and allows you to enjoy a fruitful career from the convenience of your home.
Here are a few tips to help you organize and be more productive in your home office space.
1.Make a Schedule and Stick to It.
Homes are riddled with distractions. For those just now beginning their journey as a remote employee, this will be the biggest obstacle to overcome. The reason being, we tend to associate our place of residence as an inviolate sanctuary of relaxation and repose from the outside world. To counter the natural urge to treat your time at home as you typically would over the weekend, you want to create a schedule that will keep you on top of your duties for that day.
Keeping a schedule is an excellent way to avoid distractions. If you keep to a detailed list of what you need to accomplish and hold yourself to it, you’ll help ward off procrastination by keeping yourself accountable.
2. Make Time for Human Interaction.
Working from a remote location robs you of human contact and, as a result, can create feelings of isolation. Make time to talk to your work associates through meeting platforms such as GoToMeeting and Google Hangout. Another excellent way to promote engagement between employees is Yammer – a social network / virtual water cooler hangout spot where employees can share things about themselves, talk shop and feel connected to their coworkers.
3.Create Your Own Home to Work Transition
Another advantage your in-house peers will have over you is their daily commute to work. I know, it doesn’t make much sense (who enjoys commuting to work?), but hear me out. It may not seem like it, but a drive from home to the office creates a nice transition from home-life to work-mode that we don’t even think about. So, how can you create your own custom commute? Before diving into your tasks for the day, set some time aside to create a list of priorities, browse emails, or brainstorm ideas to help prepare you for a day’s work.
4. Keep Work Space and Home Space Separate
Don’t think you’ll be able to sink yourself into the couch with your laptop and perform your job at an optimal level. Keep your workspace separate from your living space and let it be void of distractions. Ideally, you will have a room to dedicate your work to and will have a clear understanding with those living with you about giving you the space necessary to perform your duties.
5. Have the Right Tools.
Leveraging productivity tools is critical for most remote employees with a lot on their plate. Take advantage of services like google documents, google hangouts and dropbox to help you juggle tasks and boost efficiency.
Remember – working from home requires more discipline than working in the office. Many long for remote employment, only to find they can’t be productive in a place they associate with leisure living. By following the steps in this article, you’ll be on your way to being just as productive in your home as you would in the office, and enjoy the freedom of that working from home has to offer.
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