How to Work from Home Like a Pro
Working from home can be difficult if it’s something you don’t do frequently. You need to be in the right state of mind, remember you are at work, and not on holiday.
To work successfully from home, you need to keep yourself focused. We’ve put together an essential guide for those of you who find themselves trying to adjust to a change of workplace.
- Don’t work in your pyjamas
Getting dressed into your work clothes, even though you’re still at home is another trick of the ‘working from home’ trade. If you sit in your pyjamas and slippers all day, most people will struggle to get into the right frame of mind for work.
The old saying “dress to impress” has a lot of truth in it, even if you’re not going to be meeting any clients, you’ll feel more professional if you’re in your work clothes and that will be reflected in your work.
- Create an office space in your house
So many people make the mistake of thinking they will be able to get into work mode easily without making some changes to their home. You need a dedicated area for work. If you’ve got a spare room that would be ideal. Set up a desk with a computer and try to recreate your office at home.
If you don’t have the luxury of a spare room, take over a light and airy corner of another room (as long as it’s not the bedroom).
- Set a routine and keep to it
Human beings are creatures of habit. On an ordinary workday, most people have a routine that they keep to. You’ll know that in order to arrive at work on time you have to leave the house at a specific time, that means getting up at the same time, having your breakfast at a regular time, and so on.
But when you’re working from home, that routine very often goes out the window. One of the keys to successfully working from home is reinstate that routine. This will help you get into the right frame of mind for a day’s work.
- Keep in touch with your colleagues
This is absolutely vital. No one likes to be completely isolated and if you feel that your totally on your own you can very quickly lose motivation, get distracted, and your productivity goes down.
By staying in close contact with your colleagues you’ll be reminded that you are part of team and that everyone is working together. If you have a clear idea where your work fits into the wider scheme of things, you’ll be much more focused and also your colleagues can help provide that extra impetus to work a bit harder.
- Take Breaks
When you’re working from home you can very easily forget to take your regular lunch break and just work on through it. This is a mistake if you want to be your most productive. Taking regular breaks is also part of forming a work routine, which helps you to get into the right frame of mind for working from home.
When you work right through without any breaks, your attention can wander and you’ll find yourself achieving less.