Ray Pigott Many of us are working from home now. For some, there is no choice but to keep safe and do our jobs from the comfort of our own home. A lot of us may have had a dream and ambition to work from home, perhaps starting our own businesses or going freelance with the experience we have gained. Whatever the circumstance, or whether it is something you are aiming to do, working from home can be a great option to consider. It can give you great flexibility with your career as well as balancing your home life more effectively. But, how can you make the most of it?
Working from home isn’t always the easy option that people imagine. It can often be difficult to stay productive or totally understand how to prioritise your workload. Especially when there is a lot of distraction around and a different working environment can also take some getting used to. However, as this looks to be a new normal for the foreseeable future, it is worth understanding some of the tips that can help improve the situation and make it work for you. With that in mind, here are some tips to help you do it.
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The right equipment
One of the first things you need to think about is having the right equipment for the job. What is it you need to ensure that you can work from home effectively? You may want to invest in a new computer, laptop or desktop. Perhaps have an iPad or tablet so you can work on the go and take advantage of video calls and conferencing options. Maybe you need a printer, scanner, or a camera to help add to your job. Even the best software you can have. Make sure you don’t do yourself an injustice and not have everything that you need to work from effectively. Otherwise you won’t benefit from it or feel happy doing it.
Your health and wellbeing
Working from home has some great benefits, but you also need to ensure that you take care of your health and wellbeing while doing it. In an office, you may find there is more structure to your day and forced break times, whereas at home, you may be tempted to work longer. Make sure you take regular breaks and ensure that you have time away from working. You might also need things such as computer glasses to help avoid eye strain, and also a comfortable chair to sit at to avoid backache and pain. The more you place some focus on your health and wellbeing, the happier you will be when it comes to your working day. A routine can help you get structure to your day. Also it can be hard to distinguish between working and home life, so where you work and how you do it is important. This is covered in the next point.
The best set up
You also need to ensure that you have a good setup. While it can be tempting to work in your pyjamas from bed, or even sit in the living room with the TV on in the background, you have to wonder whether this will make you as productive as you can be. Instead, find a spot where you can have a desk or a work setup. Free from distractions and other things that could be holding you back. This could be the perfect place to set up your work and also be able to leave it there when you have finished for the day. If you have a desktop computer like a Mac, you might want to think about having a desktop wallpaper that will protect your work from prying eyes or locks your screen from accidents where people may press a key on the keyboard. Websites like https://setapp.com/lifestyle/dynamic-desktop-wallpapers-for-mac could be a great way to protect your work and have a nice design and appearance as well. If you have a spare room, you could look at creating a home office. This could be especially worthwhile if you plan on working from home in the long term.
Make the most of this new working life you have
Not everyone has been given the opportunity to work from home before, and it could be an actual gift for you when it comes to your working life and lifestyle. Many people who have children or families have struggled with standard nine to five jobs before where they have missed things like assemblies, school events or even just doing the drop off and pick up. Working from home could give you the benefits of doing those things for your family in the future. It might also give you the chance to have a better working and home life balance. Less time on the commute to work, time at home, less money spent during the day, and a happier lifestyle overall. It could help you to implement other things into your day that you may not have had time for before, such as exercise, walks or a decent lunch.
Time management hacks and routine
Finally, create a routine that works for you. This might be finding the right time of the day where you are most productive. For example, some people are better in the morning, whereas others are more productive in the evening or at night. Knowing the time of day that suits you best will help you to develop a routine that works for you. This is why working from home can be so flexible. There are also some great time management hacks that you can try online. This could be time blocking where you focus on one task for a period of time, or writing lists where you can prioritise your workload efficiently. The more you think about the time management side of things, the more you will get done during your working day.
Let’s hope these tips help you to work from home effectively as many of us now face this as our new working normal life.
