Working from home is gaining steam off late, owing to organizations focussing more on productivity and creativity rather than traditional practices. The belief is to get the most out of an employee by ensuring they are not bogged down by distractions such as long commutes to work or a skewed work-family relationship which can result in employee dissatisfaction and hence poor results.
Work without Walls, a study by Microsoft, surveyed about 4,000 workers to identify the preferred reasons why workers preferred to work from home. Maintaining a work-family balance was the main reason why more than 60% of the survey respondents preferred to work from home. Other reasons included avoiding traffic and saving the cost of commuting.
If you are new to working remotely, it’s important to recognize the differences between working in the office vs. working from home. You will need to create new routines, practice self-discipline (it’s a lot easier to get distracted when no one’s watching) and change some habits in order to make working from home a success.
Here are some working from home tips to help you maximize your productivity and maintain balance.
1. Schedule Your Hours
It is necessary to be disciplined while working from home to ensure the hours you put in produce results and the projects you undertake are completed on time. Working from home may not always shorten your working hours, but the timing can be a lot more flexible. To enhance productivity, a structured approach is always the answer when it comes to scheduling the hours you work.
You can work the hours in a day at a stretch, keeping in mind that you might need to stay in touch with the in-office team, or you can divide them up into slots. There is much more freedom in it compared to a typical office day. The key is to have scheduled adequate hours in a day dedicated to work and to stick to it.
2. Choose a Spot
Working from home does not mean staying in bed with a laptop and a coffee mug. This will lead to minimal productivity and very easily, a bad back! Instead, choose a location where you feel comfortable enough to work. When it comes to boosting creativity, a well-lit and properly ventilated space is your best bet. Make sure the space you select has the necessary facilities such as power points, steady Wi-Fi signals and the appropriate furniture. Equipping the space with the necessary furniture will be an added benefit should you have space for it. As you would spend a considerable number of hours sitting, choose furniture that helps your posture. As you would with your desk at the office, keep your working space at home tidy and clutter-free.
3. Switch it Up Every Now and Then
Working from home does not necessarily mean working AT home, all the time. Change things up a bit occasionally by working from different locations. You can switch locations within your house. Coffee shops and libraries are good options as they provide necessary amenities such as Wi-Fi and power outlets. Libraries also provide a quiet environment for those tasks which require extra focus and concentration. Changing locations can keep things fresh and prevents boredom and repetition.
With co-working spaces popping up in major cities across the world, it could be another location to work from. Co-working spaces are common spaces, equipped with basic amenities and furniture, as you would find in a traditional office, but space is shared by many people. You might find yourself sharing a desk with people from various companies and this provides networking opportunities as well as a semi-formal working environment.
4. Be in Touch
When working from home, it is easy to find yourself devoid of any communication with your team members and workmates. Maintaining communication with your colleagues ensures that information is shared on a timely basis. Problems can be addressed instantly and collaborating through instant messaging or phone calls enhance problem-solving and promote teamwork. The human interaction will also prevent the feeling of isolation that some might experience when shifting from working in an office to the sudden quietness of your home. However, it is essential to monitor the communication and so it does not distract you from the task in hand.
The less face-to-face contact we have the harder it becomes to interpret tone in emails, text messages and on chat. You don’t want a simple It’s fine to be misinterpreted as something else. Instead, try It’s fine! (with an exclamation) or It’s fine 🙂 (with an emoji) and your message is already a lot more positive.
5. Utilize Technology
Technology has developed to the point where you can carry your entire file cabinet in your pocket! With online storage solutions and real-time document editing and collaborating software readily available, technology makes it easier than ever to work from home. There are virtual conference rooms and other video calling platforms that enable visual and audio communication to facilitate meetings and discussions, without all the participants being in one location. Utilizing such technology can assist you when working remotely ensuring the lack of physical proximity does not impact communication or collaboration.
6. Set a Routine
While dressing up for work every day can appear to be a chore, it does play a role in getting into the ‘working mindset’. However, when working from home, it is easy to find yourself tempted to stay in PJs. While there is no need to deck up in a suit to work from home, it does not necessarily mean you need to look like you just rolled out of bed.
Create a routine to take on the workday. Taking a shower, meditating, exercising and getting dressed (for the impromptu video calls from your boss or coworkers) are all part of a good morning routine. It’s also a good idea to end your day with a routine to mark the end of working hours.
7. Set the Rules and Stick to Them
Working at home might mean you’re more prone to distractions. This can be in the form of phone calls from a family member, a text from a friend or a courtesy visit from your neighbor. You might also be tempted to browse social media or check that unread message in your inbox. During your work hours, minimize all such distractions. Use apps like Freedom, a browser extension that shuts out notifications from sites you deem to be distracting and help you stay focused.
Let your near and dear ones know the hours you work. Set codes or keywords to communicate emergencies to help you prioritize the situations you respond to.
8. Set Goals
Always set out goals and targets. Write down a list of the tasks you wish to achieve in a day, a week or a month. Set out timelines for activities and set aside time for breaks or refreshers. Keep a journal or use apps to keep a track of your progress and mark out targets achieved and tasks that require immediate attention. These can help you stay organized and motivated.
9. Work is Work
Do not let yourself get distracted by doing house chores or other non-work related activities during your work hours. These can disrupt your schedule and decrease productivity. Unscheduled breaks or activities can lead to a lack of focus and increase the time taken for tasks to be completed. It can also lead to a laid-back approach that can impact results negatively and hamper your functioning.
10. Give it time
Working from home involves a lot of trial and error to assess what works for you and what does not. It is even harder when you are used to being in a formal workplace, following fixed hours and having some set of rules or personnel to monitor the work you do. So be patient and always be on the lookout for ways to optimize your working style.
Conclusion
Working from home can lead to excellent results but it also takes planning, organizing, and discipline. Follow these work from home tips and you’ll be able to create a good work-life balance and establish boundaries – the keys to achieving success!
Our unique ‘Work from Home Successfully’ course bundle can help you make the transition from working in an office to working remotely or for yourself.
Andrie Steliou
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