Most people think that the idea of working from home is an absolute delight, which it can be. However, as with most things, you need to put in some effort to ensure that it remains a joyful and sustaining experience for you.
That’s why you should follow the following tips to help maintain a happy work-from-home environment:
Start early
One of the perks of working from home is that you’re going to be able to control what times you’re going to be able to start working. However, we can too often let our bad habits get the better of us.
If we start too late in the day, we’ll have poor sleeping habits, affecting our productivity and work results.
At the same time, if your working hours are too all over the place, it can be challenging to connect and collaborate with your work relationships. You can’t guarantee that a client, a coworker, or a boss would be operating during the same times that you are.
With that said, starting early in the day is a lot better because you get to finish your work faster. You will have more free time for yourself or to connect with work relationships later.
Use your “commute time”
When you worked in an office, you probably had to commute before you could get to your office. That said, you can use this time to transition into work mode.
Too many people working from home manage their time so that they start working immediately the moment they wake up. Going to work directly upon waking up is not the best way to start your day or wake yourself up. That’s why you should use your commute time to prep yourself for working from home.
Dress for success
Another advantage of working from home is that you don’t necessarily have to dress up. The appeal of working while wearing nothing but comfortable PJs or sweatshirts is strong when working from home.
However, if you find yourself slacking off more ever since you started working from home, you might want to consider dressing for success.
Even when you are working from home, Dressing up for work allows you to transition to work mode. That means that you won’t spend time dawdling until you get in the right mood for work.
Have an inspiring workspace
It’s great about working from home because you can make your workspace look however you want.
Most traditional office spaces look too sterile, so it makes people feel constricted. However, when you work from home, you can create the type of workspace that inspires and motivates you the most.
Instead of being stuck with whatever your office looks like, you can start using whatever decor you want or vibe well with you.
How your physical environment looks will affect the way that you work. Thus, if you have a clean, professional, and attractive workspace, it will entice you to act and be the same way, even when working from home.
Create a work playlist
When you’re working from home, there can be many noise or distractions around that you need to fight. One way to keep those distractions at bay is by having a work playlist that you tune into when it’s time to work.
When creating your work playlist, it’s better to listen to songs that you know won’t take too much of your attention. It’s even better if there are no lyrics in it so that you won’t let the songs override your thoughts.
Classical music is an excellent theme for your work playlist. However, if you find that you manage yourself well even when the lyrics are there, don’t hold back. Play the songs that are best for you.
Brush up on time management
The underrated skill of time management is the skill that people would need the most when working from home. That’s because working from home often means having to juggle home issues with work issues, and sometimes, it’s at the same time.
Therefore, it’s a struggle and a challenge for your time management skills.
With that said, it’s all about learning to set boundaries as well as developing your self-discipline. When you can regulate yourself correctly, you can easily manage your work and your work projects’ time frame. At the same time, you won’t be neglecting your issues at home.
You also won’t build up stress too much because you’ve set boundaries between work time and time for yourself.
Don’t glue yourself to your chair
When you’re working from home and the office, you’re probably spending a majority of your time glued to your chair. Even though you’re working from home, this is likely to be the case for you.
What you should know is that sitting down on your chair all the time isn’t the healthiest thing for you. Thus, you need to get up and get your body moving whenever possible. After finishing work tasks, get up and walk around for a few minutes. Stretch your muscles and move a bit.
Use your breaks to get out of your workspace. Don’t eat your lunch in the same place that you work. Give yourself some space between work and home life and get your body moving so you can get a bit of energy back into you, too.
Stay connected with colleagues
Your colleagues, at least the good ones, help you with managing the workload. That’s why when working from home, you might want to stay connected with the coworkers that you’re close to within the office.
They can help keep you accountable for your work when you have a difficult time keeping yourself accountable. At the same time, you can bounce off ideas with them. They make it easier and more pleasurable to work, so when you want to, try and connect with colleagues too.
Know when to call it a day
We mentioned boundaries before, and the firmest border you need to have when working from home is setting a time when you stop working for the day. As much as possible, this should be non-negotiable unless there are emergencies.
If your work is having “emergencies” for weeks on end, something has to change. Otherwise, you’re leading an unhealthy life.
That’s why, with both coworkers and customers, you should communicate your working hours so that you stay firm when you call it a day.
Over to You
While working from home has some benefits, it can also be challenging. More so when you do not feel motivated to work.
However, you can make the most out of it by applying the tips in this article. Soon enough, you’ll discover the beauties of working from home and would want to do it as often as possible.
About the Author:
Raymond Chiu is the Director of Operations for Maid Sailors Office Cleaning Service NYC. Maid Sailors offers its customers unrivalled office cleaning services that can address even the toughest cleaning needs. Matched with affordable prices, Maid Sailors is your best partner in helping you turn your office into a work-friendly workplace.
Search Remotely is an online marketplace for remote workers, we have placed thousands of candidates into full time working from home positions across the globe.
