If you just started to work from home, you’ll find it’s not always easy. It’s nice to be able to lounge on your sofa and relax in your bed with your laptop, just typing away, or to be able to prep some snacks and eat it while working at the same time in your dining area. Sure! But then you begin to notice that you’re unable to finish your work on time. At one point, you’re happily typing up a report to present at the meeting tomorrow and the next thing you know, you are staring straight at your TV getting all hyped up with the soap opera only your mother was so excited about. You have practically jumped from one area of your home to another but for some reason, your attention keeps getting diverted to somewhere else that your mind finds more entertaining. You soon realize that it is more chaotic working at home than it did when you were working in the office.
So let me share with you what worked for me before and up to now, as I, too, have had some difficulties working from home.
1. Space
Society has a fixed and oversimplified image or idea of how a person working from home looks like. Work from home advertisements would picture somebody drinking coffee on her favorite sofa chair fiddling on a Tablet. In reality, it’s more complicated than that. As much as you’d like to move from the living room to the dining room and vice versa, you’ll always find it hard to concentrate on your work.
Give yourself some space, a dedicated workspace. It can be a small separate room in your home or a small area inside your bedroom. Ensure its cleanliness and orderliness. Just as Marie Kondo would say it, “Discard everything that does not spark joy.” Declutter and then organize. Keep it minimal by only having the stuff that you think is required in your office. To list down your goals, create a scoreboard, and To-do List by getting yourself a Writing Board. Don’t forget to add a table, chair and other useful fixtures such as a stand-up desk or a cabinet to keep your files and book in order.
Another thing to consider when working from home is a High-speed Internet. You’d need good quality internet to connect with your clients and managers. Avoid using pocket or mobile Wi-Fi connections that’ll cause any latency problem and will only add to your worry. Pocket and mobile Wi-Fi connections are best as back up connections in case of any downtime in your high-speed internet connection.
Lastly, you’d need to invest in good quality hardware and software. Get a laptop with a webcam and a good quality microphone. Download the latest updates for your software and other tools required to execute your work properly. You’d need these during meetings, transferring files online from one person to another, and sending out information to clients and other work staff.
2. Schedule
Follow a schedule. Dedicate time for play and work. Depending on you and your family’s lifestyle, work according to what is most convenient to you and your family. You can split your hours or work straight on a set schedule.
Once you have established your working hours, stick to it as much as you can. It is essential to follow a routine. Start your day by checking daily goals and comparing your yesterday’s tasks from today. This way, you’ll be able to map out your work hours and follow through easily.
When the day is done, make sure to quit working. Have a method to break your work hours when the time is up. Some people would change their clothes, others would drink tea to relax, and I’d turn off my work apps on my phone and simply shut my laptop off.
Another way to start your day right is to get dressed for work. Wake up, take a bath and dress for work. It doesn’t need to be formal, just as long as you’re not in your pajamas and you’re feeling fresh.
Most of all, turn off all phones, unnecessary apps, the television, and close the door if you think it will add a distraction to you and your work routine.
3. Support
Seek the support of your family and friends by making them understand the importance of your time when working and the value of work you need to put in. Explain that you have a special time for your work just as you do when you are spending quality time with them and that during those work hours, you request not to be bothered by anyone unless it’s an emergency.
And there you have it, the 3S to effectively work from home.
With the right space, schedule set in place, and support from family and friends, you will find working from home is as beneficial as others would say it to be.
