This is a collaborative post
More and more of us are now working from home, and that shift was already taking place before Covid-19 forced even more people to vacate the office and start working from home. If you’re new to home working and you want to work out how to do it well and focus on the work at hand, you’re in the right place.
No matter what your job may be, whether you are attempting to run your own business, hosting virtual classes or looking to Teach English Online, keeping your focus while working from home is one of the biggest challenges you’ll face. There are so many different ways in which you can improve your approach to home working, but you might not be aware of those things if this is all new to you. Below, we’re going to talk about all the things you can do to allow yourself to focus and be productive when working at home, so read on to find out more.
Create a Truly Dedicated Workspace
First of all, you’re going to need to make sure that you have a truly dedicated workspace. It needs to be a space that’s purely for working and nothing else. Creating that space will help you to detach your work life from your home life, and that separation is really important when you’re getting used to working from home for the first time. Sitting on the sofa with your laptop is rarely the right way to work from home, so try not to fall into that particular trap.
If you don’t have room in your house, it can be a good idea to look into self storage units to make space. You can move items that you don’t want to chuck but also don’t have space for here, then can access them easily when you need to.
Stay Off Social Media During Work Hours
You should put in place a social media amnesty before you start properly working from home. If you’re going to be sitting on your phone browsing Facebook and swiping your way down the Twitter timeless endlessly, you’re never going to be productive. And when you’re working at home, you don’t have anyone to tell you to put the phone down and don’t have any office social media bans. That’s why you should put your own in place, and make sure you stick to it closely.
Invest in the Right Furniture
Investing in the right furniture will make your experience of working from home a whole lot more comfortable and that’s a big deal. If you don’t feel comfortable as you sit and work, you’re going to get more easily distracted and be more likely to want to get up and do other things, and that’s the last thing you want. You need to have a spacious desk and a comfortable chair that offers good back support, at the very least. They’ll serve you well for a long time to come.
Make Sure You’re Prepared for a Day of Screen Time
If you’re going to be working from home alone, you’re probably going to be looking at a screen a lot of the time, and that’s something that’s worth preparing for. Getting your eyes tested and seeking out the right pair of glasses from www.eyeglasses.com will put you in a good position to ensure you don’t start to experience eye strain and other problems associated with working in front of a screen all day. Those problems can really distract you and stop you from being productive each day.
Dress for Work
Although it’s always very tempting to wear your pyjamas as you work from home, especially if you don’t need to be on a webcam call at any point during the day, it’s a temptation best avoided. Try to make it a habit to get up and dress yourself for work in a professional way, the same way you would if you were heading out to the office in the morning. It can put you in a more professional mindset and that can only be a good thing for you going forward.
Create a Schedule
Creating a schedule for your work can make your task a whole lot easier than it otherwise might be. Having a strong schedule will give you structure and that’s something that can sometimes be lacking when you’re working from home. Set yourself deadlines because no one else is going to be there to do that for you. It’s up to you to manage and structure your time as well as you possibly can. Taking the time to create a structured schedule will enable you to save time later on.
Automate Admin Tasks
There are certain tasks that you need to complete as part of your work that you might not need to spend as much time on as you think. Certain basic tasks can be automated with the right software. There’s a software solution out there for most basic tasks these days, so explore the options out there. You might find something that’s relevant to you that enables you to free up some time and automate admin. You’ll then be able to focus on other aspects of your work.
If Working with a Team, Interact with Them Carefully
If you are working as part of a wider team while working alone at home, getting your approach to teamwork and communication right will be essential. It’s something that you should think about very carefully and try to stay in close contact with your team even if you’re in completely different locations. There’s no excuse for getting this wrong these days. There are so many communication tools and software out there for you to make use of.
End the Working Day at a Sensible Time
Finally, you should make sure that your day ends at the right time. You can’t work from the moment you wake up until it’s time to go back to sleep because that provides a horrible work-life balance. Set a sensible end time for your working day and try to stick to it.
Working from home can be a real blessing, but it’s not as easy as a lot of people imagine it to be. There are lots of challenges and distractions to overcome, and establishing the positive home working routines and setup above will help you to get it right. So put these things in place, and reap the rewards.
If Running your Own Business, use the right tools
If you run your own remote business, the right tools will improve your focus and productivity. There are plenty of tech tools which can help you to remain productive. Try project management tools, and time tracking software. To optimize your marketing, you might use content creation or social media management software. You’ll also need a business account that offers plenty of useful features. If you’re not satisfied with the benefits of your account you might want to switch business bank account.
