Work-from-home has a lot of perks. This is the reason why many people chose this kind of set-up over having a regular job. As a work-from-home person, you have the freedom to choose when and how you work for as long as you can provide results your clients are asking from you. You don’t have to worry about the traffic and the weather and most especially, the proximity to family are just some of the coveted benefits of working from home.
However, there are also disadvantages of working from home. There are plenty of challenges that you have to face when working from home. Perhaps, one of the toughest challenges is maintaining your productivity amidst all the distractions that you have to contend.
Take a look at some quick tips to boost your productivity while working from home.
Make The Whole Family Members Understand
If you have a family, you have to make them understand that you have to work and there are times that you will be unavailable for them even if you are physically present inside the house. You are not alone in facing this kind of dilemma about working from home. A study shows that about 60% of work-from-home respondents said that family members demanding attention is the top distraction they face while working.
You don’t have to feel guilty about not having time for your children or spouse or worry about not having enough time to finish the task you have to do. Working from home doesn’t need to be a rat race. The trick there is to create a routine and the whole family has to know. For example, you can set your working time when the children are in school so you can have a distraction-free time and you can maintain your working mode. You can also have to set the ground rules which every member of the family has to follow accordingly. It can include answering the phone calls or how to act accordingly when there are clients around.
Moreover, try sorting out your tasks. Are there task you can do while you are distracted such as going through emails and formatting documents? You can do these tasks while attending the needs of your family. However, inform them of tasks that need your full attention such as talking to clients and creating business proposals so they can avoid distracting you.
Figure out a way to create a work-life balance where everyone will feel comfortable and neither your work nor your family is affected.
Act Like It’s A Real Regular Job
Your home provides you the feeling of comfort and relaxation and this feeling affects your ability to focus on your tasks. You need to switch yourself to work-mode by disassociating yourself from the feeling of comfort and relaxation that your home is bringing you.
Avoid working in your pajamas. It would help if you make it a habit to change your outfit to office-casual clothes before you start working. This is also to prepare yourself in facing unexpected visitors which may be a prospective client. Moreover, you also need to set rules for yourself. Just like in the real office, list down the do’s and don’ts while you are in working time.
Do not be afraid to turn down visitors unrelated to your work. Tell them you have deadline to meet and you can catch up some other time. Kick start your day by thinking that you are going to work. This will help your body adjust and shift to working mode.
Create A Game Plan Before Starting Your Day
Create a structure on how your day will progress before you start working. Review the task you have to do throughout the day and make a schedule so you can avoid downtime.
Pomodoro technique is one technique that will help you focus on your task without the feeling of exhaustion. This is a kind of productivity method where you set a time for your tasks to finish in intervals. This technique will guide you to finishing your task without feeling that you are trapped in working all day long.
It would also help if you keep a list of “to dos” with you. This will help you keep track of what you still have to do. If you have extra time, try doing other things ahead of time so you can avoid cramming in the following days.
Have A Dedicated Home Office
Working on the couch or in living areas can get you too comfortable; hence, you may likely to forget about your tasks. If you prefer working from home, you need to have a dedicated place for working to stay productive.
You don’t have to invest large bucks to have your own home office. Be creative and resourceful. Do you have an unused garage space? Transforming it into a home office is a smart alternative so you don’t have to spend too much in remodeling your home. Your home office also does not need to have new materials and tools for your work. Try repurposing unused materials such as boxes and containers. You can use these things as organizers for your documents.
A dedicated space for work in your home will also help you have a focused mindset. Also, keep in mind that your home office is exclusively for work, it is not for resting, relaxation nor a play area for kids.
Stay In Control With Technology
Communication is important to have a consistent communication with your clients and business partners. However, there are times that you get distracted especially when using social media as a way of communication. As much as possible communicate with your clients and partners through email, phone or other messaging and voice call applications like Skype so you can stay away from social media.
Also, remove social media from your toolbar bookmarks so you won’t be tempted to open them. Aside from music which is oftentimes helps you stay awake and productive, avoid other forms of entertainment. Do not put TV inside your home office. You can subconsciously open it and get stuck watching your favorite TV shows.
Technology and social media has a way of getting you distracted even if it was a quick glimpse. So it’s better to eliminate distractions rather than minimizing them.
Conclusion
Productivity is fundamental in providing quality results on time and to help boost your career as a freelance or a work-from-home entrepreneur. However, with all the home distractions you have to deal with it can be a little difficult to maintain high productivity level. Luckily, there are smart tips you can follow to avoid time wasters and distractions. Put these tips into work and hopefully, you will get everything in control. Good luck and enjoy working at home.
