1. Separate work from leisure
If you’re working from home the temptation to turn on the TV on and watch This Morning is real. So is suddenly finding the inspiration to tidy up the living room after the night before. It’s wise to dedicate a room in your house to work, whether it be a home office or just the dining room table. Set up in your home office and shut the door on the rest of the house. Keep distractions to a minimum, log off Facebook and crack on. You’ll be surprised at how productive you can be.
2. Plan your time
One of the main benefits of working from home is that you can tailor your working hours to suit you. If you’re more productive in the afternoon, then take the morning off and start your day at lunchtime. Play to your strengths. You know yourself better than anyone else. If you’re concentration waivers by 5pm, start earlier and make sure you’re done by 4:30pm.
3. Is the task suitable?
Think about the tasks you need to do and ask yourself where is best to complete them? If you split your time between working from home and an office location then maybe working this way will help alleviate distractions from colleagues in a office. If you’re working on a project which requires assistance from others then it may be better to save this for when you’re together and can free-flow ideas with your colleagues.
4. Stay organised
It can be really easy to misplace documents or folders. Perhaps you carried a report you were reading into the kitchen then completely forgot about it whilst you were opening your own mail? Invest in some storage boxes or folders so that you can keep all your work safe and separate from your home life.
5. Dress to work
It may seem silly to advise that you dress accordingly whilst working from home – but this is all to do with your own mindset. If you’re working in your pajamas it can blur the lines between being at home for leisure and for work. If you wake up and put on some professional clothing it can help you prepare to work mentally. Give it a try, you may be surprised.
6. Don't start bad habits
If you usually wake up at 7am and start work in the office at 9am then try and stick to this routine when you’re working from home. It can be really tempting to lie in and open your laptop in bed at the last minute, but in actual fact this can really throw off your body clock and routine. Stay focused and work from home professionally.
7. Prepare your lunch
The last thing people think of when working from home is how lunchtime can really impact productivity. When you’re in the office you wouldn’t dream of pulling out pots and pans and making an elaborate lunch, but when you’re at home you may be a little more inclined to treat yourself. Why not prepare your lunch the night before, so all you have to do it heat it up, or unwrap a sandwich? That way you won’t get distracted with the washing up or starting on other chores around the house.
