Working from home has a lot of benefits. From flexible hours to the comfort of a familiar space, it is a dream for a lot of people. And sometimes it seems like there are no downsides to it until you actually start doing it. When you’re working at home, there are a lot of distractions such as housemates, children, chores, as well as all the entertainment you would use in your free time. This is why setting up your home office well is crucial to keeping motivation high and distractions low, and these are the things you should pay attention to:
Office placement
There are a few key things you should pay attention to. Firstly, if possible, you want to avoid your office being in the same room where you usually relax or have fun, like a bedroom. If this isn’t possible, place the desk as far away from your bed as possible. The goal here is to separate your work life from your home life, and if you’re working on or around your bed, that line will get blurry and you will find yourself going to sleep feeling like you’re at work, or working while feeling you should be sleeping. Secondly, you want to place your office as far away from common distractions as possible. If the TV is usually on, then the living room isn’t the best option, so plan accordingly. Ideally, you would have a separate room that is your office, but if that’s impossible, a strategically planned corner will work just fine.
Necessary supplies
The simple fact is: if you don’t have all the necessary tools, you can’t do your job. But when you’re working from home, you also want to make sure you have all of your supplies at your desk. Sure, you can get up and walk to the kitchen to grab the scissors, but that will take you away from your work, so it’s better to have a separate pair just for your desk. The same goes for all office supplies like pens, correction tape, highlighters and everything else you use in your work. You also want to make sure all of your electronics are working properly: have your laptop as well as your phone charger within arm’s reach, and if you often have to print or scan something, make sure the machine is close by.
Keep motivation high
For you to do your job with so many distractions around you, your motivation and wish to work needs to be greater than your wish to do anything else available. A vision board can help you with this. Place a corkboard above your desk. Use it to display pictures, quotes, goals and anything else that will keep you motivated. If you find fulfillment in your work, then pictures of previous successful projects might be the thing you need. Whereas if your main motivator is earning money, pinning a picture of a goal vacation destination is a good idea.
Reduce distractions
Unless you live alone and are able to unplug all phones, doorbells and other distractions, there’s probably some noise around you, and sometimes shutting the door isn’t enough. The first goal is noise reduction. This can be achieved by using noise-canceling headphones, even if you don’t want to listen to anything through them. Next, if you are not alone in the room, it’s a good idea to get a decorative screen which will divide the space, making you feel like you are in the room by yourself, but also cutting off your view of the distractions around you.
Ask all of your housemates for cooperation and as few distractions as possible. Really try to get into the mentality of working. Which means no working in pajamas, no taking naps, and no TV breaks during work hours. Working from home is a great option for a lot of people, but it takes some getting used to. Especially if you previously worked in an office setting. Making your home office a space you like spending time in will make the transition easier and the work something to look forward to.
Contributed courtesy of Georgia Selih.
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