7 SIMPLE WAYS TO BOOST YOUR PRODUCTIVITY WHEN WORKING FROM HOME
/Working from home can be fun - until the baby spills water on our computer.
For many of us, working from home every once in a while is a great luxury that technology allows us. But which environment actually allows us to be more productive – an official office space or at home?
At a real office environment, our employees can pose the greatest threat to keep us from getting real work done. They write us emails. They drop by our desk. They invite us to lunch. Or more likely, they are bored and just want to chat.
At our home office, however, it's easier to be our own worst enemy. Because we are not surrounded by employees, it's easy to get distracted. There's no one watching us so we don't have to meet deadlines like we would as if we were in our regular office. And we hang around in our sweatpants all day.
Don't be distracted any longer. Stay focused and get more done with these simple tips.
1). Get an early start if possible. When I work from home, I wake up around 6:30 AM, put on a pot of coffee, and sit down at my desk. I start working as soon as I can and will break for breakfast when I get hungry around 8 AM. I'm an early morning person, so this schedule works well for me.
2). Get dressed. I try to pretend like I'm going to my New York City office so that I can actually get work done. More often than not, I will get dressed and put on some makeup so I feel presentable.
3). Get a schedule. I schedule my day as if I would if I was in the office. Keeping a tight schedule to meet deadlines helps me stay focused and get more done throughout the day.
4). Get a dedicated workspace. I try to separate my home life from my work life. I have a home office with a door so no one bothers me.
5). Schedule calls in the morning or afternoon/evening. If you're a morning person, save calls for the afternoon to take advantage of the morning hours to work through the tough projects and meet strict deadlines without distractions and vice versa if you are an afternoon or evening person.
6). Take scheduled breaks. I try to take a five-minute break every hour on the hour so I can recharge and get some blood flowing to the rest of my body. I also try to eat lunch away from my desk.
7). Pick a time to finish work each day. If you work from home on a full-time basis like I do, it's easy to let your work interfere with your personal life. You need to establish a boundary.
What are some of your best work from home tips? Let us know below.