Working from home isn’t as easy as everyone seems to think it is. Not only do you have to do your best to focus but you also need to make sure that you have a comfortable space for yourself. Here are some top tips to help you out.
Be Organised
First of all, it’s time to get organised – make sure that you have plenty of filing cabinets to keep forms and other paperwork and that you’re legally set up as self employed if you work freelance. It’s important to make sure that you keep everything and that you send out invoices when you need to so that it’s easy to do your taxes and you get paid when you need to be. If you’ve only just left a company it can be hard to get into the swing of things – but your bank account will soon remind you!
Be Focused
Focusing can be hard no matter what the circumstances are – and focusing on work in the comfort of your own home, where you could sit on the couch and watch TV if you wanted to, can be rough. Make sure that you give yourself plenty of breaks – time yourself if it makes it easier – and that you remove all distractions from around yourself. You might think that you can work at home when your kids are there too but you might just find that’s easier said than done – hire a childminder when you can so that you don’t have to focus on their needs as well as your job’s.
Image source
Be Comfortable
It’s important to find a space in your home in which you can be comfortable. Ergonomic chairs and memory foam cushions aren’t just something that you ask your boss for at work – you also need to provide yourself with them so you can work from home comfortably and not start to encounter any health issues with a sore back or neck. Make sure that your home office space has plenty of light and air and that it’s separate from the rest of your home so you can relax in peace when your work is done.
Image source
Be Prepared
Make sure that you have everything you need at home, from food for your lunch to all the work items that you’ll need – you don’t want to have to waste valuable time going out to buy a salad for lunch when you could just prepare and buy the ingredients beforehand! Make sure that you have plenty of medical supplies – the Emerg-A-Center first aid cabinet can help you out if you’re in a tight spot – and that you have all the work items you might need, from printer ink to paper clips.
Image source
Be Disciplined
Finally, it’s important to make sure that you’re disciplined. Even if a friend wants to pop over for coffee, make sure that you do it in your lunch break or that you make up the work later. The flexibility of working at home feels incredible but it also means that you need to be as disciplined as possible and that you make sure other people understand that you need to work a full day.
Featured Image
