Working from home hacks you need to know | 4 Tips
Working from home can be a challenge, right? As with most things in life there’s a recipe for being focused, just like there’s a recipe for being unfocused. Productivity is one of the many challenges you might encounter. Think about it, if you have the ingredients of kids screaming in the background, with a laptop on your sofa, half watching TV, late at night, having not eaten all day… these are some fantastic ingredients to guarantee you will be unfocused.
Similarly, working in a cluttered and chaotic space or a very hot and stuffy space with no fresh air are all great ingredients to ensure an unfocused state. Now, that word “state” is exactly what focus is. Focus is nothing more than a concentrated state of attention, like a laser beam, focusing on the things you need to get done – yet, for so many people focus can be an elusive state they find difficult to tap into.
This is particularly the case when it comes to working from home, as there are so many distractions and temptations. For instance, have you ever started the day with really good intentions, to work from home, yet found yourself so tempted by the sun outside that you drive down to the beach and take your waterproof device into the water? That said, it doesn’t have to be this extreme, it could be as simple as watching YouTube or Netflix or checking social media.
Working from home can be a challenge – here’s how to tackle it!
When it comes to focus there is a recipe, particularly with regard to working from home, and this article reveals some of the key ingredients. Check out these 4 essential hacks when you’re working from home, and get more productive today!
#1: Set up the space for success
You’ll want to create a distraction free home office that allows you to focus on work without distraction, therefore ensuring the space is decluttered with minimal noise and adequate airflow is essential to assisting concentration.
#2: Good furniture and furnishings make you feel better
There’s a strong chance you’ll want a spacious desk, even if you are working from a laptop, as you’ll want the ability to spread out and focus on your work. The most basic office furniture checklist comprises a desk, an ergonomically supportive chair, and a bright lamp.
So, getting enough light into your home office is extremely important as is where you sit, because you’re likely to be sitting in that chair upwards of eight hours a day, so be sure to get a chair with plenty of padding and support.
#3: Get into a routine, slacker!
This one always works for me! The most important thing in terms of having a routine, is that it provides structure and keeps you focused – set yourself a lunch hour between a set time each day, or adopt the approach that many successful people take which is to get dressed for work, as if you were going to the office, rather than sitting around in your underwear.
#4: Set up “focus-only” blocks of time
It’s all too tempting for your attention to drift anywhere other than on work when working from the comfort of your own home. You might have to parent yourself, in this sense and set up your own ‘parental controls’ that allow you to restrict the content you’re able to access (i.e. no Netflix or social media) at certain times of the day in order to remain focused.
There’s an interesting app called Freedom that offers this functionality. But there are many apps you can choose that have different functions, and can help you keep your day on track – use them!
Working from home is hard – but you CAN get lots done!
It’s just so popular now; remote work, telecommuting or ‘working from home’ – in fact, according to my local rag the SMH, “An analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveals the number of employed people who work from home has dramatically risen from 20 per cent of the entire labour force to 30 per cent in 15 years.” This is an amazing stat – and it’s not a cultural phenomenon that will wane any time soon.
How do you find working from home? What are your sure-fire tips for getting things done? Tell me in the comments below.
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