Work From Home: 7 Tips For Productivity
Working from home can be a great way to earn a living and have the freedom of being self-employed. However, it does mean that without a designated workplace, one's home office can easily become just another room in the house, or even a distraction.
Here are 7 tips for staying productive while working from home:
1) Designate a room in your house as your office
These days, more and more people are working from home. Having a designated room as your office can help keep you focused and on task. It will also be easy to close the door and avoid any distractions. With the increased amount of people working from home, a lot of homebuyers make a home office space a priority when they're shopping for a new home. In fact, a designated home office can actually increase the value of your home when you're looking to sell.
2) Make a schedule and stick to it
Whether you work in a traditional office or from home, having a schedule will help you accomplish more and stay focused. Just because your work day is flexible doesn't mean that your schedule should be too. Keeping regular hours--especially if they're early hours--will allow you to focus entirely on the task at hand, and reduce distractions.
3) Get dressed
If you've ever gone to work in your pajamas, then you know how distracting it can be. Getting dressed for work, even if it's just a t-shirt and jeans, will help you feel more professional and ready to tackle the day. Even better, invest in some new office clothes that serve as your "uniform" so you'll always be ready.
4) Set aside time for meals
Instead of working through lunch, take the time to at least get up and move around for an hour. You can eat lunch with your family or go out if you need some fresh air. Just make sure that you're taking short breaks throughout your day to let your mind rest.
5) Keep essentials in one place
The key to an effective home office is organization. Keeping frequently used items such as a stapler, tape, and scissors near the area where you work will help you stay focused on completing tasks and reduce distracted movements throughout your office space. Try keeping a pencil cup, briefcase, and/or filing box in the same place every day.
6) Keep a "To-Do" list
You can use an electronic or paper planner to keep your daily tasks straight and on schedule. By adding deadlines and prioritizing projects, you'll never have to wonder what needs doing next and will be able to complete tasks efficiently.
7) Try not to multitask
Multi-tasking might seem like the best way to accomplish more, but it can actually make you less productive. Studies show that attempting to do too many things at once decreases your ability to concentrate, reduces quality of work, and makes identifying problems difficult. If you're having trouble staying focused on one task for a long period of time, try to adjust your schedule.
Working from home can be a great way to earn a living and have the freedom of being self-employed. However, there are many distractions in your home and you need to have the dedication to stay on task to get your work done. These 7 tips will help you stay productive and efficient throughout your workday!
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