One of the many benefits of the internet revolution is the ability to work from anywhere. The internet has enabled many professionals to work from wherever they are across the globe as they have a secure connection and can log into their company’s network.
The number of remote jobs has also significantly grown in the recent years and so has the number of people who are choosing to work from home.
Working from homes saves company’s thousands of dollars they would otherwise spend on renting an office space and furnishing it. Employees are saved the strain and cost of the daily commute and sometimes uncomfortable office chairs.
This is all great but working from the comfort of your home all has its disadvantage. There is the temptation to sleep in and spend the whole day in your pajamas and it can also lower your productivity since there are so many distractions.
Here are some tips to stay productive while working from home.
Wake up on time and get out of bed
With no one expecting you to show up at 9, you might want to sleep in and wake up when you want, then bring your laptop over to our bed and work from there. This is unadvisable because your brain has been conditioned to associate your bed with sleep and this may lower your productivity and even tempt you to have occasional naps.
The trick to working effectively at home is to wake up in good time, spread your bed, have breakfast and dress up as you would when showing up at the office.
Having a work station prevents you from working while lying on your bed. Set your working schedule and stick to it.
Reduce distractions to a minimum
No, you can’t get rid of your children because they are distracting you while working. You can however keep them occupied letting them ‘help your with your work’ or giving them safe toys during your working hours but remember to keep checking on them every so often. If that arrangement
If that arrangement doesn’t work for you, then enroll them at a childcare facility for a couple of hours daily or hire a nanny.
Don’t spend your time either on YouTube and social media during working hours and also regulate the number of visitors to your home during these hours. Obviously, the TV should be off while you are working.
Maintain an ‘office mindset’
Working from home doesn’t mean that you get comfortable and stop pursuing growth opportunities. An office environment can help you maintain a clear focus of your career goals but since you are working from home, simply develop the same mindset.
If you feel you are deserving of a raise, shoot your boss an email and politely and assertively argue your case. If it your education you’d like to advance, look for opportunities like the Bill And Melinda Gates Scholarship and apply.
Take care of yourself
It is easy to fail to define when your working hours start and when they stop when you are working remotely.
Don’t let work spill over into your free time so much that you lack time to eat healthy and work out. Even people who work in offices leave their work there when they step out of the door in the evening.
