3 Tips and Tricks to Keep You Productive and Motivated While Working at Home.
Working from home definitely has its perks, just to name a few, no commute, no dress code and it can keep you close to family, but many remote professionals find staying productive and motivated is their biggest obstacle. Here are 3 tips and tricks to help you stay productive and motivated, while enjoying all the benefits of working from home:
By no means are we suggesting you should wake up each morning and dress in formal attire. What we are suggesting is, not to roll out of bed and just start working. Work from home employees find they feel more productive and motivated when they get ready for the day. “[Getting dressed] is important because it sets the mindset that I’m in a place of business and I am professional” explains Claude Delgado, remote worker and founder of D Graphic Solutions. When you are dressed and prepared for the day you are more likely to handle work matters in a professional manner.
Somewhere in your home you should have an area that is exclusively for working. This will help you keep your work life separate from your personal life and vice versa. Your work space should be located away from any commotion or distractions. This area should be somewhere you want to be. Invest in a comfy desk chair, nice lighting or some personal décor; having a space you enjoy being in will help keep you motivated and productive throughout your work day.
Working in an office sets boundaries and gives less opportunities for personal distractions. When working from home you have to take extra steps to stay focused and avoid distractions. The best way to do this is by pretending you are not home. When you are working pretend you are away from your home. Do not answer the door or the phone, don’t do any household chores and try to avoid running personal errands. At times, this is easier said than done, especially if you have children and/or other family members in the home. One way to deal with distractions from family members and/or children is to create some type of signal to put outside your work area. This signal tells family members when it is okay and when it is not okay for them to interrupt you. Computers also create distractions, to avoid computer distractions you may want to install browser plug-ins that block certain websites that may get you sidetracked.