| |
Winning Ways to ensure that you are Productive working at HomeOne of the most common complaints among people that work at home relates to creating and maintaining a schedule. Although working at home is flexible and ultra convenient, it also poses its share of problems to an undisciplined person. So, how do you ensure that you will actually work and be productive while at home? How can you be sure that you wont experience burn out and see your dream of working at home come crashing down around you? There are several organizational tools that might help.
Many believe the most important tip that you can utilize is a simple one. Do not use a common area to do your work. In other words, do
not work at the kitchen table or a comfortable living room chair. Working in such areas is by far less productive and promotes constant distraction. Set up an office area that you will use exclusively for working. If you do not have a separate room available to you, then at least set up your office in a corner of your bedroom. It isnt the best choice, however, you can still have privacy and less distractions than in a common area.
Another thing you can do is create a comfortable schedule, one you can actually stick with. For example, if you have young children at home and know that between certain hours you will be very unproductive, simply do not try and cram in the work. It is by far more productive to work for an hour uninterrupted than to work for two hours when you will have to step away constantly to take care of other things. Furthermore, besides being unproductive, if you find yourself cramming in your work you will experience burn out that much quicker. If you have to break up your day, do so.
One thing that seems to work well for people is to create some kind of ritual or habitual task you do to mark your day. For example, if you are a coffee lover, dont get your cup of coffee until you are ready to start working. This way your cup of coffee will become the beginning of your work day. Moreover, try to stay away from sitting in front of the computer in your pajamas. Yes, the idea is great, but it does not put you in the work mindset. Instead, take a shower and get dressed even if it is in jeans and a t-shirt. To mark the end of your day, get into something comfy. When these things become habits, your brain will automatically react and put you in the modes you need to be in when you need it.
If you are a morning person, by all means get as much done in the morning as you can, and vice versa. Not all time is created equal and again, you will be much more productive in one hours time during the peak of your day rather than two or three hours in your down time of the day.
Lastly, something that is very underestimated is the fact that you need an escape. If you do not provide yourself the time you need to take care of yourself, your family and your household, working from home will become something that is too stressful to manage. You need a balance between work and play. Just as co-workers go out for a drink after work on Friday, you need to set aside time for yourself. Having your work at home all the time can be frustrating at times. You must do other things to get your mind off of work to succeed. |
|
|
|
|