Working from home is a drastic change from the office atmosphere. Your house is often thought of as your lazy space, where you do not always have to be your best self. However, when your work gets brought to this laid-back space, how can you ensure you are not getting distracted? Follow a few of our tips to make working from home more productive.
1. Keep It Clean
Whether you are working in a home office or at your kitchen table, your workspace must be clean. Clutter can shift your focus from your job to organizing your whole house. You want to eliminate working in a view of triggers that will sway you to think about or start, projects you don’t need to do. Have your work station clear of clutter, unfolded laundry, dirty dishes, and dust. This will allow you to create a clean area where there are minimal ways to lose concentration.
2. Schedule It, Follow It
Putting a schedule in place to follow is a great way to avoid procrastinating. Take your morning shower, drink your coffee at the same time each day, and only take your designated time for a lunch break. Try sticking to the schedule closely, if not perfectly, in order to keep yourself focused. Additionally, try setting boundaries with your family and roommates.
Only engage in conversations during breaks and at lunchtime to avoid distracting each other. This may be more difficult if the other humans in your household are not working, so keep yourself motivated by laying down the law.
3. Fake the Space
Being in your relaxation zone, where you can follow your own schedule, and can be as motivated as you want 24/7 is difficult to work in. This may enable you to possibly become a bit lazy. Wearing your sweats and laying on your bed with your laptop will take away from your work mode. To keep yourself efficiently working from home, try to mimic your office life. Dress in professional attire and avoid sitting near a TV. If this isn’t a possibility, do not have the TV on. Try to pretend your coworkers are in the same room, by asking yourself “would I do this at work?” If not, don’t do it at your home office either.
4. Do Not Disturb
Having a room or section just for working is not always possible, however, creating a work-only area is. Even if your work desk is your counter or kitchen table, you can change it around for the hours of your job. Between 9-5 (or your applicable work hours), have your table set up with all your tools to replicate your desk from the office.
If you have small children at home with you, it may be a little harder to keep your workspace specifically for working. Adjust your day with your partner to ensure all parties are satisfied and able to create realistic expectations for watching the children and working. In addition, try opening windows or doors to feel less confined, allowing fresh air to clean the area.
It’s no secret that productivity is harder to achieve outside of a work environment. By being prepared, sticking to a household schedule, and recreating your workspace, you will be able to stay concentrated and motivated much longer. When the day/week is over, try to change the area back to its original function. This will maximize your relaxation time outside of work hours and enable you to be more focused when work time rolls around.
