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10 Ways to Increase your Productivity |
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For many people, working from home is a dream: The chance to get up later, avoid the traffic jams of the morning commute, and be close to the family. It offers the chance to put more of your day into actually working rather than travelling, and the potential to work in a more enjoyable environment. However, thanks to all the additional distractions of the house, working can also be a recipe for disaster if you are unable to concentrate on actually getting your job done, and your productivity levels can be lower, leaving you to work for more hours if you do not take steps to maximize your use of time and avoid distractions.
In this article, we will look at 10 ways in which you can enjoy working from home and keep your productivity levels at high enough to justify doing it.
1: Have a dedicated work area
Having a good home office is an essential aspect of working from your house. Aside from anything else, it will allow you to keep work and home life separate from each other. Psychologically, it is a good idea to have a separate area where you can get into the mindset of working, and where you can be free of as many distractions such as family and pets as possible.
2: Structure your day
If you plan what you are going to do and when, it is much easier for you to set achievement goals and know what you need to do in order to complete the tasks you set yourself. You should get into a routine of starting at the same time every day and working for a specific number of hours before you allow yourself to finish for the day.
3: Know when to finish
When you are working from home, it can be tempting to work much longer hours and go on long into the night in order to finish a task, however this can leave you resentful of working, and be counterproductive to achieving your goals. By remembering that there is a life outside work, you will allow yourself to balance family time with work and get all that you can out of your day.
4: Create a peaceful area to work in
Having a workspace where you can go and not be disturbed by your family is essential if you want to get the most out of your time. Set ground rules that your family will abide by and let them know that when you are working, it is important for them to stay out of your way – they should understand when they remember that you are working to give them a better life.
5: Avoid distractions
Nothing is more likely to wreck your day than allowing yourself to get distracted. Do not watch the television, or let yourself play time wasting games such as solitaire on your computer. It is too easy to have 5 more minutes or another game and then lose your day entirely.
6: Ensure you have access to all the information you need
Although the Internet is a good source of most information that you might need, there are always other items that you will require, make sure that you can get in touch with the office if you need to and have them e-mail you files that you need if you want them to,
7: Get the right mentality
Many people who work from home recommend that you still adhere to regular business practices such as putting on a suit and having a shave before you start – their thinking is that if you look professional and feel professional, you are more likely to work hard. This doesn’t appeal to everyone, but give it a try if you find it hard to get in the right mindset.
8: Take regular breaks
Taking regular breaks throughout the day is essential if you want to keep focussed. In an office environment, you will spend a fair proportion of the time talking and in meetings, at home you do not have natural things to break up the day, so make sure you take a regular break from your desk and go outside, have a run, or a snack, and you will return with all your focus.
9: Keep in contact with the office
It is easy to become isolated from the office if you always work from home, so keep in touch with your colleagues through e-mail and telephone calls to make sure you keep abreast of any developments. Having MSN Messenger or another instant messaging client open on your desktop will allow you instant access to colleagues if you need them.
10: Have the right equipment on hand
Make sure that your home office is stocked with everything you need. From a PC to a printer, and telephone on hand, you need more than just a pad and paper to work from home effectively, so invest in the right supplies and keep a good stock of things like printer cartridges and paper at home for when you need them to avoid having to make unscheduled trips to the shops when you should be working.
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