HOW TO WORK FROM HOME: TIPS TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL
Many people think working from home is the ideal situation. You have the comfort and familiarity of your surroundings and the luxury of a more relaxed working environment, not to mention all your favourite things in your kitchen and the option to work from a sofa. But when it comes down to it, many people struggle to focus, or encounter many a distraction.
​
Keep reading for tips on how to be productive and successful at working from home.
1. Get started early
Commuting to the office on a daily basis often provides a window for us to mentally prepare for the working day ahead, so that we are ready to go by the time we reach our desks. However, when you're working from home, that window is smaller and a lot less active. To combat this, we recommend starting as soon as you get up. By minimising the time for procrastination in the morning, you've already put yourself in a productive working mindset.
​
2. Have a structured plan
When you work from home, there is no manager or set of colleagues to hold you accountable for your work rate or concentration levels, and it is easy to start procrastinating or become burned out. To boost your productivity, set a scheduled plan out in the morning of what you want to achieve by the days/weeks end and allocate time blocks by which to focus on these goals.
3. Have a dedicated workspace
Just because you're not at your usual desk/office, doesn't mean you cant have the home equivalent. Try to avoid spaces where you usually relax and unwind as this will bring temptation. By having a focused workspace, you will be able to start associating the area with getting work done.
4. Get out and about
Sometimes being in the same environment all day, everyday can dwindle your productivity. If taking regular breaks isn't helping, switch it up by going to work in your local coffee shop or library, or somewhere similar to your actual workspace, without being your office but still as relaxed.
5. Avoid the lure of social media distractions
We all know how tempting it can be to check in on LinkedIn or Twitter, only to find ourself resurfacing having spent a lot longer than we anticipated to on our phones (or laptops). This can be avoided by removing any temptation or reminder of social media. Put your phone on do not disturb or log out of all of your apps until your set break time.