The advent of the internet has brought about many positive effects to the business world, one of which includes working away from the office. Working at home is now a trend in the workforce on the premise of convenience and productivity.
Working at home has its edge and advantages. You don’t have to wake up too early and dress up for work. You get to spend more time with family and have all the privacy you want inside your own workspace-slash-home.
But this kind of set-up has its challenges and disadvantages too. The comfort of being at home is one of the biggest hurdles in being productive. However, you can still complete your daily tasks if you have the correct mindset and observe the right routines. Here are a few tips:
Create your own space
Make an office out of your spare space at home or create a no-fly zone where you can set-up an effective worksite. Ideally, it should be outside the vicinity of your bedroom. The mere vision of bed is already a distraction and any person’s usual response to cushions and pillow is to procrastinate. There are a lot of guides online on how to arrange an ergonomic workstation that will not only provide you a work-conducive environment but will also prevent you from experiencing posture problems brought about by the relaxed home-setting.
Schedule
It’s easier to be productive when you follow a schedule every day as though you are in the office. You can follow your shift at work, and make sure to finish all required work within the allotted time. By following a schedule, it’s easier to balance work and your responsibilities at home.
Transfer to a new location (if you need to)
Yes, the convenience and the laid-back ambience that you experience from working at home is the main advantage compared to the strict and policy-driven environment in the office. However, a lot of workers find that working in the same environment actually keeps them from being productive at work. In times like this, consider walking to the nearest coffee shop if it helps in motivating you to do more.
Limit Social Media
A lot of stay-at-home workers would agree that social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram actually keep them from concentrating on the work at hand. While there’s nothing inherently wrong in checking your account and responding to comments, it’s also important to keep an eye on the hours you spend on each social networking platform.
A good 10 minutes every an hour or two is ideal to keep you motivated and productive. It also helps to make social media access harder by using browser extensions that limits the user’s social media use in a day.
Talk to people
Yes, you’re working at home, and you probably have less human contact during your shift to avoid getting distracted. While this trick works for the first few months at work, the feeling of isolation brought about by working alone can also have counterproductive effects to the worker.
While working at home, try talking to your colleagues or family members or even go so far as planning coffee dates with them. Remember that although you’re working at home, there’s nothing wrong with socializing with your “workmates”.
