Given the recent rise of remote work and the fact that many workers note that they actually feel more productive beyond the confines of an office, many of today’s entrepreneurs are enjoying a mix of the traditional office lifestyle and the benefits of working from home simultaneously.
Although having the opportunity to work from home a few days a week may seem like a blessing, it can turn into somewhat of a headache if you’ve never worked from home before. For starters, there are tons of potential distractions to keep you from getting down to business. Additionally, not all work is created equal: some of your workload would perhaps be better suited at the office versus at home.
So, what do you need to know if you’re going to be working partially from home? Keep the following tips in mind to make sure that you stay productive and make the most of your time doing business remotely.
Make Yourself Comfortable
Creating your home office space is an absolute must-do if you’re working from home: you can’t expect to just sit on your laptop in your living room and think that will cut it. Some investments to ensure your productivity are as follows:
- Comfortable furniture: whether you’re creating an office in the corner of a room or decorating a new space from scratch, simple yet sophisticated home furniture will ensure your comfort and remind you that it’s business time
- Somewhere quiet: you need to choose a space where you’re least likely going to encounter any sort of distractions (which could mean others in your home as well as noise from the outdoors)
- Somewhere with a strong Internet connection: don’t choose a dead-zone in your home if you expect to stay productive, but instead choose somewhere in close proximity to your modem and router
Establish a Daily Routine
Working from home doesn’t mean lounging around in your pajamas and sleeping in until noon: if you don’t establish routines ASAP, you’ll find yourself in hot water with management and your productivity will suffer.
Make it a point to structure your day and breaks accordingly. For example, make it a point to wake up an hour or so before it’s time to get down to business to make room for activities such as reading the paper, doing some exercise and making your morning pot of coffee. Schedule your mental and meal breaks accordingly; however, stick to your schedule so you don’t end up working all day or missing deadlines.
Choose Your Work Wisely
As noted earlier, not all work is created equal. You need to pick and choose between tasks which are best suited for home versus the office.
For example, tedious typing and editing tasks are perhaps best served for home where you can grind them out and focus; meanwhile, anything which involves numerous meetings or face-to-face conversations and collaborations are best suited for the office. Although you can take the steps to become a master of virtual meetings, you should save real-time conversations for the office if possible.
By following these tips, you’ll not only get more work done but also stay in good standing with higher-ups. The more your management trusts you to work from home, the more likely they’ll give you more liberties and opportunities to enjoy remote work.
