Working from home – Top Tips!


The idea of working from home is often misinterpreted as sitting around your house in your PJ’s all day with unlimited supply of food and beverages. As good as this sounds, working from home actually requires a significant amount of motivation and self-discipline. At work you are surrounded by professionalism which applies a motivational attitude throughout your day. However, at home you are within your own personal comfort zones with a sense of a relaxed and laid-back attitude. Therefore, how do you resist the temptation to lie around and do the odd hour of work? Read the tips below to find out.


Set an alarm for a normal waking up time

We all know what it’s like to wake up on our day off and take advantage of the soft duvet knowing we don’t have to hit the snooze button. However, even though you don’t have to get up to travel to work, you should still treat the day like a normal working day. In your head you will convince yourself that having an extra hour of rest won’t create any serious repercussions towards the day. However, this is simply procrastination! It is important to establish a regular routine (similar to the one you have when you externally leave for work on other days) Also be sure to give yourself a time to begin work. For example, if you get up at 8 o’clock, begin work at 9 o’clock. This gives you time to prepare for the day.


Set up your own work area

 If you have an area in your home that is quiet and comfortable, then using it as your ‘’home office’’ is suitable for a productive day of work. The last thing you want is to be distracted by the television, so purposely avoid areas with things you know will distract you. Trying to create a work area similar to the one at your workplace will also be beneficial, as it is more likely going to motivate you.


Dress for success

 Similar to the effects of setting up your own work area, dressing for the occasion has also proven to greatly influence your mind-set. For example, if you dress in your usual attire for the workplace, then your brain will be ready to face the world! However, if you stay in your PJ’s in bed and just work with your laptop by your side, your brain will associate this with relaxation and resting, highly likely to reduce your productivity.


Allow yourself set breaks 

 Allowing yourself a break isn’t against the rules if you’re working from home. Make sure you allocate yourself time to make yourself a nice cup of tea and a good healthy lunch. However, allocate strict times for your breaks otherwise the smallest of things can distract you and then suddenly time has drifted away from you. A good tip would be to set an alarm so you will be alerted when to start work again. This way you won’t have to clock watch, which gives your mind the relaxation it deserves.


Talk to people

 This may sound a bit odd, but working from home without any of your usual colleagues surrounding you can get a little lonely. Your day might be full of contact with other people through email or text, however calling up a friend on your break will give you the opportunity to relax and chat about things other than the work you have been doing all day! The idea of sitting there all day with only your own thoughts will just drive you mad. You will find that talking to friends or family will lighten your mood as well, giving you positive energy to complete the day’s work after your break.

Set a time to finish

Working from home can easily distract you to carry on late into the evening. It’s easy for you to say ‘’I’ll do one more thing’’, yet an hour later you find yourself doing more work than you planned! This can of course be a good thing because it means one more thing to cross off your to-do list, however this means you have over-worked yourself. Simply remember to set a time to finish. Now you can just put your PJ’s on and watch television for the rest of the evening!


Evidently, working from home can be both a blessing and a curse, however, with efficient planning it can become one of the best things you can do. You must be organised (but not too strict) in order to have a successful working day and you will find yourself smiling at the end of the day.

What are your thoughts? Do you have any other tips for working at home? Let us know!

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