As telecommuting becomes increasingly popular, it’s crucial to find ways to effectively work from home. Staying productive can be a difficult thing to do; however, you can utilize these tips to help avoid distraction throughout your day.
Get Dressed
Don’t just roll out of bed and attempt to begin working productively. Before you start your day, it’s important to complete your morning routine. This should include various personal hygiene tasks such as a shower and brushing your teeth. Additionally, you should be eating a balanced breakfast, and getting dressed in clean clothes. Along with a morning routine, you need schedule yourself in breaks as well as a lunch hour. A routine will help you avoid distraction and improve productivity.
Dedicate an Office Space
Carve out space for you to work from home. Whether it’s a room, a closet or a corner of your dining table, a dedicated workspace is key. Olivia Krauth, a writer for techrepublic.com states, “Designate a home office, preferably something with a door to separate yourself from outside distractions. Only use the home office space when you’re working, to help give yourself a feeling of being at the office, Lanides suggested. Additionally, set up the office with similar equipment that you would have at an actual office. For example, if you use two monitors at work, have two monitors in your home office.” A home workspace can help you separate your work life and home life.
Create a Work Schedule
Another important part of avoiding distractions at home is setting a work schedule. Krauth goes on to say, “If there are other people home while you’re working, it may be helpful to post a schedule on the door of your home office. This can help kids or significant others know when you’re free, and when you’re busy and shouldn’t be distracted. A schedule can also make working from home seem more official, so people might be more inclined to respect your boundaries, and less inclined to ask you to run errands in the middle of the day.” It’s important for those around you to understand that when you’re working from home, work needs to be your priority. When you make your schedule known to those around you, there’s a much better chance that you will be successful.
Acknowledge your Distractions
As you begin working from home, it’s important to acknowledge the things that distract you. Be brutally honest with yourself so you know what you need to do when it’s time to focus. If you get distracted by things that need to be done in your home, get them done before you start working. For example, if you have a hard time concentrating when your dishes are dirty, make sure you complete that chore early in the day. This will give you peace of mind and allow you to be productive.
Working from home involves a learning curve. However, it is entirely possible to succeed using these helpful tips.
