From copywriters to virtual assistants, tutors to artists, more and more careers allow people to work from home. For some people this seems like a dream, but in reality working from home presents its own fair share of problems.
Your home has lots of distractions, from the TV to your family, and this can make it challenging to be productive. So if you want to be good at your job, you may need to harness some popular work from home tips.
Whether you worked from home for years or are only doing it due to the current pandemic, here are five surprising work from home tips that could help you.
1. Surprising Work From Home Tips: Give Yourself A Rota
A UN report found that people who work from home are more likely to feel stressed when they are working, and this is partially because remote workers normally clock longer hours. So if you are working from home, try to set a clear work schedule that you can stick to. Sure, this means you may have to get up early in the morning, instead of having a lay in – but it means you will have a set time to clock off, which will make it easier for you to have a healthy work life balance.
2. Dress For Work
It can also be useful to dress for work in the morning. Of course you don’t actually need to do this; after all, no-one will see your PJs either way, but various studies have found that getting dressed will help you to feel more motivated. So put on your jeans and a smart-casual top, and crack on with your day!
3. Become The Office Cleaner
It doesn’t matter if you are a virtual assistant or the CEO of the company; if you work from home alone, you will need to become the office cleaner too. Various studies have found that a clean work environment increases focus and motivation, so you are more likely to have a productive day.
We suggest a quick tidy up at the end of the working day, as well as a deep clean once a week where you actually clean the office. This means things will never get too untidy, even if you have a creative job (such as making art or soap).
4. Keep In The Loop
One of the greatest things about office work is the ability to socialize and collaborate. This helps you to bond and create with your team, but this can be much harder if you work from home – but it isn’t impossible.
You can schedule daily Zoom calls with employees you are working on projects with, and it could also be useful to set up two group chats; one for work conversation, and one for casual conversation. This means everyone can still bond with each other, and people are less likely to feel lonely or isolated.
5. Set Up A Productive Soundscape
Finally you could set up a productive soundscape to boost your productivity levels. In an office you can’t distract other employees by playing your own music, but when you work from home you can listen to whatever you want. Some people find that productivity podcasts help them to get in the zone, while other people prefer classical music or nature sounds. So find a playlist that works for you, and press play as soon as you sit down to work.
Do you want to make sure every WFH day is productive? If so, here are some helpful time management tips that will help to boost your daily productivity levels.
