With all the technological advances that we have at our disposal, working from home is more of a viable option for many companies and their employees than ever before.
But one important thing to bear in mind is how can you enjoy your home comforts without losing focus on your work obligations?
You do not have to leave your house, there is not an office dress code for your house and you are the owner of your own work schedule.
Working from home
Working from home is an option that at first glance seems perfect, however, when the your living and workplace are overlapping, there can be a lot of new distractions and because of this it is important to establish some boundaries to ensure you maintain your focus..
We have put together a number of useful tips for you to maximum your output when you are working from home.
Establish a work schedule
The first thing is to do with your mind set. If you are telling yourself that you are not working from ‘home’ but instead if you refer to it as working this can help your concentration.
One of the main challenges of remote working is knowing when one to be connected and when to disconnect, so it is very important to set “office hours”. Putting this schedule in place will ensure that the lines between your work and personal life are not blurred.
For example, if you are working and you receive a call from a friend or an unexpected visit from a relative, try to make them understand that even though you are not in the office you are in fact working and that you will have time for them when you are finished your work commitments.
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Break down your week by your objectives
If you are working towards clear goals this will help you to successfully achieve results. For example you should ensure that you are in agreement with your manager as to what are you KPI’s (key performance indicators) or objectives that you need to concentrate on. With this information you can then organize your time into daily and weekly tasks.
Additionally, it is advisable to always factor into your daily schedule some time for those unexpected items that appear on your radar that need to be urgently done. If you are organized in terms of your time completing your tasks will feel less stressful.
Do an analysis of your activities
If you are working remotely it is important that you are do an analysis of your productivity in relation to your objectives. This can be done weekly or monthly depending on the requirements of the project or task. This is useful in order to determine if you are running behind on your schedule.
Have your own space
Each person will be restricted as to the space they can dedicate within their house to creating a specific working area but where possible it would be best to avoid working from your bedroom or in the kitchen.
These are generally areas that you associate more with non-work commitments so if you can try to find your own space that is free of distractions and offers you as much comfort as possible you will likely be more productive.
If you do not have an a separate location that you can use try to organize your work tasks at times when there are fewer people around and therefore less distractions.
Learn to set limits
If you are working from home on a regular basis it is possible that certain people in your life may take this to mean to you are always available.
Explain to your friends, family and other acquaintances that when you are working from home this does not mean that you are available for non-work related activities during your ‘office hours’.
It is important that when setting limits, you should do this seriously and without feeling guilt. Show the same consideration to your working from home time as you would if you were in the office.
