From reduced travel time to save on gas and meals, there are benefits to working from home. Working from home can result in greater productivity for it can sure help you achieve that elusive work-life balance. There can be distractions, tough, and whether you operate a business out of your home or telecommute occasionally, you’ve probably struggled at some point with the multitude of distractions and temptations a home office offers. If you’re currently experiencing one, you can go here for some advice. But how can you make your home office the most productive space it can be? Try the following tips.
Prepare Your Office for Productivity
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a huge office with huge pine doors, impenetrable to the outside world, with a huge deck overlooking a quiet pond, or even perhaps a rack of weeping willows, disturbed only by the deer roaming around the trunks? Okay! This probably won’t happen for many individuals, but it is still feasible to design your home office with productivity in mind. You can try to stay out of trafficked areas and find a quiet corner of the house, if at all possible.
Paint your space a calming color you prefer (green is probably ideal for productivity). Make sure your space has a window, even if you don’t like the feeling of working in a cave. If possible, put a small fountain in front of the window to have something serene and distraction-free to look at. Create enough space so that everything you need to do your work is easily within reach.
Keep Your Distractions at Bay
If you’re working at home, chances are you’ll need a break from time to time. Maybe it’s a book, or a game on your phone, or a favorite musical instrument – your preference is yours. Keep it close by so you can reward yourself with short breaks, but tuck it out of sight. You don’t want to give in to constant temptation and end up looking longingly instead of working.
Get Comfortable
Not as comfortable as snoozing instead of working, mind you. However, it’s awfully hard to become a focused and effective person if you’re constantly struggling to figure out your monitor or rubbing your aching spine. Buy a great office chair and make sure you sit in the correct position at your desk. In case sitting for long periods is too uncomfortable for you, try putting a standing desk in the corner of the distance. Not all are a fan of this, but some people recommend it. Small things, like an anti-glare screen for your personal computer, can improve your comfort so you can focus on your work.
Invest in Light Exercise Tools
Get a set of resistance bands, light weights, or perhaps a small treadmill and put it in your office space. Taking short breaks for exercise can help you shift gears, refocus and reenergize as needed throughout the day. And, of course, it’s good for you. Your head and heart, plus your back, shoulders, and knees will thank you for this one.
Be Tough on Distracting People
There may be people in your life who, no matter how hard you try to scare them, just don’t get it–that working from home still means working! Whether it’s a neighbor, a friend who just likes to drop by, or your mother-in-law calling incessantly, teach yourself to politely but firmly disengage. Don’t answer the phone or the door, it’s that simple. If you’ve let them know your schedule and that you’re unavailable, you don’t need to beg to be available for something unless it’s a true five-alarm emergency. If you don’t set your boundaries, chances are no one will do it for you.
