Happy Teams, Better Business
I know what you're thinking, working from home is the ultimate! No boss to look over your shoulder. No annoying colleagues that hit the keyboard too hard. Hell, you may as well stay in your PJ's all day!But believe it or not, it takes a certain type of person to work from home and still power through the work.
Below are our top 6 working from home tips:
1.Get up and pretend like you're going into the office
Set the alarm, get changed (not just into trackies, clothes that you'd actually want to be seen in!), grab a coffee and crack into it. Productivity starts with motivation. Treat each day as though you're actually going into work, otherwise you may just find yourself back in bed for an extra hour.... 2. Structure your day
Seems simple enough but this is the number one rule to increase productivity, especially at home.
Set a time period for each of the tasks and plan when you're aiming on having each item completed by.
If you have a mid morning break and pop a load of washing on, use this as a timer to complete a certain work item before the wash cycle ends. And again when the load goes in the dryer.
Everyone has a certain time of day which they are more productive than others. Optimise your schedule accordingly for your prime productivity time for those more important tasks.
Take a look at our Time really is Money post.
3. Have a dedicated work space
No I am not talking about your bed or in front of the TV. Have a space you specifically go to work. Ideally this would of course would be in your home office but if you don't have that luxury, have a designated table, chair, a place that you can consistently call your "work space".
4. Stay off social media
Oh yes, social media, one of the biggest time killers known to man-kind (apart from small children!).
Try removing all apps from your computer and bookmarks from your tool bar, so even if you find yourself subconsciously typing in their web addresses, you don't get sucked in without even knowing it.
5. Interacting with others
It is easy to become isolated and bit of hermit when you work from home, especially if it's on a regular basis. Go out and find a human, buy lunch, grab a coffee, purchase stationery at a shop instead of ordering it online. Just something to help keep you sane.6. Pick a start and finish time for each day
Maintaining boundaries between your work life and personal life is hugely important when working from home. It is easy to do the odd hour here and there in the evenings or check your emails in weekends. Having a definitive start and stop time for each day (like you would in an office place) helps maintain the balance.
What helps keep your productivity on track?
