Lately, in this 21st century, there has been a paradigm shift in the work structure, as we now have more jobs that allow people to work from home without needing their physical presence.
Working from home has both its advantage and disadvantage, but then, to be able to effectively work from home, one needs to put certain measures in place to be able to achieve that.
Below are some tips on how to effectively work from home
Dress Like You Are At Work
This technique helps a lot because dressing like you are at work automatically puts you in work mode. There is power in wearing something that makes you feel energized because improves productivity, and once you are rightly dressed, you tend to be less distracted because you already have that feeling that you are at work and you need to put in the necessary actions to get things done.
Trust me, when you are not properly dressed, probably you are shirtless or maybe wearing pajamas, you won’t have the zeal to put in much work, because the dress mode already makes you feel relaxed and this makes room for home working pitfall.
Suzie Godfrey, Director of the sweet reason company put her gym kit on every morning, she says “once it is on, I have to do some kind of exercise that day, even if it is only one short workout”. This further buttresses the point that dressing like you are at work has positive impacts on you when working from home.
Create An Office Like Space
You wouldn’t want to work in a place that isn’t properly arranged, because it affects productivity. Try to create a dedicated office space, because it does not only make you organized, but it makes you work more effectively and comfortably.
Mind you, this office place should be in a secluded area free from distractions to give you that office feel. Avoid working on a sofa or the bed, because you can easily be distracted and also sleeping off becomes very easy.
Take Breaks
As a homeworker, you might find it easy to work long hours without taking the necessary break, marathon sessions may feel like a productive exercise, but in the actual sense it burns you out. Ensure to find time to take breaks because it doesn’t only keep you healthy, it also rejuvenates you to be able to carry on with the task or probably accomplish another.
To help you get into the habit, set an alarm clock to go off every two hours in a room a little bit far from your desk, use those alarms as opportunities to get up and take a break.
Eliminate Distractions
If you want to effectively work from home, you need to keep away those things that will make you lose focus and be distracted. Working from home can come with lots of distractions, but then, you need to decide to possibly eliminate those distractions.
Some common distractions can include; smartphones, TV, Household tasks, friends, and family members. In the aspect of devices such as phones, tablets, etc, placing them out of your reach can reduce their power to lure you away from work. Also, ensure to put off the TV while working because just an innocent glance at the TV might steal away your attention.
Ensure that household tasks are done before you commence your work for the day to avoid multitasking which is not ideal. Try every means possible to ensure that you put away whatever may seem like a distraction to you.
Create A Routine And Stick To It
Routine puts you in check, and lets you know what you should and not be doing. Deciding you will sit at your desk and commence work at a certain time is one thing. A routine can be more powerful to help you get started on your task each day. The routine must not necessarily follow the office schedule setting, because it is not everyone who works from home that follows a 9-5 schedule.
Yours might be getting started at another time of the day. Nonetheless, look for a routine that suits you perfectly.
Set Ground Rules With People In Your Space
This step is very necessary, to avoid unnecessary distractions. For example, if you do not stay alone, you need to negotiate with those around you about your work time, meeting time, and any shared equipment, like desks and chairs, etc.
When everyone around your space, knows your rules, you have automatically reduced possible distractions. You don’t want to be in a scenario where you are probably in a zoom meeting and someone comes into your space, making noises, thereby causing distractions. If you do not stay alone, ensure to adopt this measure to avoid unnecessary disappointments.
