Maximise Productivity when Working from Home
Anyone who has worked at home before knows that it can be a struggle to stay motivated. There are so many ways for you to distract yourself, like vacuum cleaning, washing up, clothes, tidying, etc. It is impressive how clean the house can get when you are meant to be working. Well, there are many ways you can maximise your productivity at home to be just as efficient, if not more efficient than you are in the office. Here are some tips:
It is flexible
Okay, so what is flexible working? This is where you create a work-life pattern which best suits you. It has the benefit of making you more productive as you are working when you are most productive. All people are not the same, so different hours will be peak hours for different people. Flexible working, therefore, can make you achieve more, so it could be in your best interests to work from home. The idea is to set yourself a routine which works for you and enables you to make the most of your day.
Structure your day
It is probably a good idea to mirror the office structure at home. So give yourself set breaks and lunch hour. Whatever time you choose to wake up, make this a regular thing, so you get into a rhythm. Wake up, have a coffee, get dressed as you would if going into the office, and turn on that computer. An ongoing rhythm or a power routine will help you create good working habits and will force you to build momentum. It may be an idea to go for a walk in your set a lunch break to help keep you healthy too and put some oxygen into your blood for round two. The more into a rhythm you get, the more you will be able to focus and stay strong. The best thing is, this is all your choice.
Make a home office
You must create a space conducive to home working. If you have a spare room that would be ideal, but even if you don’t, set up a corner in the living room, bedroom, wherever that you earmark as your office. You will need a good chair, desk, computer, phone, lamp, office stationery, even a photo of the kids. Think about the temperature and lighting too. What will make you feel as though you want to keep on working?
Communicate
Just because you are at home, working alone, ensure you communicate with colleagues as you would in the office. There are so many ways to do this, email, webchat, even calling, etc. Do not wholly isolate yourself as this is not healthy. Communicating with someone even if it is only a couple of lines over webchat can give you a little boost. Also, it means you always have open lines of communication for when you need to ask a question or have a problem with something. Generally, from this, you will know how long someone will take to respond to you.
