When you work from home you get some much-needed flexibility with your work life, and can set the hours that you are going to do. But one of the other major bonuses is that you have no commute; you are already where you work when you wake up. The thing is, though, when you go to an office elsewhere, it is often purpose built for work and for doing what you need to do. When you work from home, although it can be convenient, it is still a home after all, and not always set up to be the most conducive working space.
Ideally you’ll have a separate room that you can use. But if you do use a shared room or just use the dining table as a desk, then it can leave a lot to be desired when it comes to working and getting stuff done. So if you haven’t got a set space or need to make more of the ‘office’ that you have at home, then here are some of the things that you can do to help. Hopefully, it will make a difference and make getting down to work much better for you.
Good Lighting
The offices that you might be used to working in are often large and open spaces with lots of large windows and lighting. Fresh air, light, and space are all things that are conducive to getting work done. Of course, this can be difficult to implement in the home as we don’t all have lots of spare space. But working near a window and having plenty of things like table lamps or floor lamps to help you get as much light in as you need, can make a difference.
Dedicated Space
Although convenience and flexibility are two of the great things about working from home, you don’t want to blur the lines too much. Getting up and dressed and being able to go to a dedicated space for work is going to be much more conductive than just grabbing your laptop and bringing it in bed with you. So if you are in a normal ‘home’ place for work, like the dining room table, consider getting some furniture for your office space instead, so that you’re able to create that separate work area. Then when you’re there you know it is for work, rather than for other things that could distract you; all about the mindset.
Organization
If you sit down to do some work and you have to spend half an hour sorting through your things and moving things on your desk, then you have a problem and something that isn’t conducive to working. So make sure that you are as organized as you can be with your work and files. Get some folders or a filing cabinet if needed and deal with things as and when they come in, rather than needing to deal with a large chunk at once that will waste time and make your less productive.
