11 May 2021

Top Tips For Working From Home


Working from home feels perfect until your favourite show flashes on TV & you've lost tracker of time. It's opening your laptop in bed & realising you fell asleep & have a little time left. Working from home is comfortable but how can you stay focused & productive from all the distractions that working from home has? 

I have been working/studying from home on & off for multiple years now so I feel that I very much know what works for me & what doesn't but with that being said, things are changing on a regular basis. Here are my top five tips that I've curated that will help you stay productive & finish all your work. 

Set A Comfortable Workspace 
Yes, it's great to stay in bed & be wrapped up in your blankets all day but in reality, you aren't going to achieve much that way. To have the feeling of wanting to start the task so it can be done, you need to set a comfortable space. Organise a space in your house to be set up as an office. Have an organised desk, comfortable chair & light that doesn't hurt your eyes. Designate the space you've created as an office only for work activities. If you are in this area, you are only to be working therefore the people in your house will also have the proper expectations. They will know that you are working & you shouldn't be distracted. 

Make A Schedule & Set Deadlines 
When working at home, you're on your own. No one will come to check on what you are doing. You are essentially your own boss. You are in control of your own work & this is why some get lost track of their work leading to an unproductive day. If you want to work from the comfort of your own home & still have a productive work day, you should aim to make a schedule & stick to it. Plan a daily schedule & create your short-term & long-term goals. Start with a list of tasks you need to accomplish by the end of the day. Setting a schedule & deadlines provides yourself a decent guideline for what needs to get done. 

Take Schedule Breaks 
While you already have your schedule, it's important you also have break time scheduled. Just because we are working from home doesn't mean we don't deserve breaks. Go for a walk, grab something to eat or have some coffee. Relax your mind so it can then contribute fully to the productive day you want to achieve. Breaks are said to improve your health & well-being & can increase your creativity but also productivity. 

Keep Away From Social Media
Social media can distract you from working. If your work doesn't involve using social media or connecting with people on social media, try keep away from all social media accounts. Rest assure, checking your accounts every time a notification pop up will result in continuous scrolling until you didn't notice that you already ran out of time to do your work. I thing I have found very helpful is to have all notifications turned off or sometimes I'll pop on 'do not disturb' which means I also won't receive any notifications including phone calls & messages which is great for when I'm in meetings. 

Try Working From Somewhere Else
This is one of my favourite things about working from home & that is the ability to work from essentially anywhere. If you're comfortable working at a local coffee shop then go for it! You could also try the library for a quiet place to work. I find that getting out of the house every now & then can help freshen up your mind & help generate new creative ideas. Working somewhere else can also be of benefit if you're finding working from home a struggle. Sometimes I find it's a change of scenery is exactly what I need to get the ball rolling again. 

Working from home isn't always easy & naturally, some days are more productive than others. I think it's about finding what works for you & find ways to work around what doesn't work for you. Working from home is a great experience & it's taught me a lot about myself. 

B x 




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