Working from home has many perks — zero commute, a comfortable environment and no dress code. But working from home can come with its own set of distractions.
Since you don’t have your boss looking over your shoulder or co-workers nearby, it might be hard to stay productive. Plus, chores around the house will call your name. And if you have furry family members, they will do their best to get your attention. Stay productive working from home with the following tips.
Create a Real Workstation
Since you may only need a laptop and your cell phone to get your work done, you might not bother creating a real workstation in your home. Working on your couch or from your bed will be comfortable, but those locations won’t put you in the proper work mindset.
Contributors at Entrepreneur.com recommend you create a home office, complete with a desk, door and business-quality materials – and most important, high-speed internet.
However, if you relish working from home because you don’t enjoy a traditional workspace, you can still be productive.
“Remove distractions, create a layout that supports efficient workflows and cultivate an environment that keeps you in the zone,” McGerr writes.
Dress the Part
Your work-from-home dress code doesn’t require the corporate-approved threads your office does, but it’s still important to dress for the day. Pajamas, sweats and yoga pants are comfortable, but they’re clothes designed for lounging, the very opposite intent of a productive worker.
“Get dressed every day. It doesn’t have to be what other people think you should wear. Are you productive in jeans and a button-up shirt? Wear that. Just get out of the clothes you slept in. Let your brain know that you’re ready to work,” advises Medium.com writer Nicole Peery.
Related: 5 tips for saving on a lower income >>
Manage Your Time
Working remotely tends to offer flexibility with your hours. You can start working the moment you wake up, but if you’re not careful, you might find yourself working much later than you want to or should.
An office setting typically comes with a set schedule of hours. You clock in, work, take a lunch, work, take a break, work, and then clock out. Your work-from-home schedule should resemble a typical working day, with breaks, dedicated work time and a hard stop.
Set Limits
Your friends and family might interpret your working from home as a day off, so it’s important you set boundaries. McGerr advises telling your family and friends the hours you’ll be working so they won’t distract you with calls or texts.
“Setting these boundaries will give you time to work uninterrupted so you don’t end up putting in extra hours over the weekend to catch up,” according to McGerr.
Engaging on social media is a fast way to get nothing done during working hours. Don’t let social media notifications, messages or personal emails steal your attention. To keep focused on your work to-do list, Peery recommends using the do not disturb feature on your phone.
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Working from home offers a lot of freedom and flexibility – as long as you learn to manage your time.
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