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How to: Work From Home + Still Be Productive

Just about everyone has found themselves setting up for a life working from home. For a lot of people, this is a brand new experience. Unfortunately, we do not know how long this period of isolation will last, so it is important to become a master of bringing the office to your space. Here are a few helpful ideas to make your work from home experience as effective and enjoyable as possible.

 

Wear Work Clothes

WorkFromHome-GetDressed

Working from home offers a few luxuries that you will not get in the office. One being that you do not have to dress the part as usual. While this temptation is strong, try dressing like you normally would for your job. Pretend that you are having a meeting at your home office with your co-workers. Dressing for a normal day in the office helps create the illusion that you are at work and will help you be productive from home.

 

Play Some Music

Working from home can get lonely, especially for extended periods of time such as this. Try throwing on some light music to fill the silence. Music is much less likely to distract you that having the TV on for background noise. Music will also help brighten the mood in your home office. Plenty of people have put together their own quarantine playlists. Try making one for yourself to keep you company.

 

Take Breaks as Normal

WorkFromHome-TakeBreaks

It is easy to fall into the trap of feeling as though you need to be attentive 100% of the time while working from home. It’s like you need to show everyone that you are here and that you are working. However, it is still important to take regular scheduled breaks just like you would in your real office. Take some time to make lunch and give yourself a few minutes here and there to step away from your screen.

 

Respect the Space of Your “Co-Worker’s”

If you’re sharing space with your family, significant other, or roommates you might find that things can get cramped fairly quickly. Everyone crowding into one area can make for a difficult work environment gets distracting as you are not all working on the same project. Try to spread out from each other. Give an appropriate amount of space to everyone else living with you. Not only will this help keep you focused, it will give you enough space from everyone that it won’t drive you crazy.

Establish Work Zones (and no-go zones)

WorkFromHome-Space

Resist the temptation of setting up shop in your bed or on the couch. You want to have a nice comfortable environment to work, but don’t spend the whole time relaxing. It can lead to a drop in productivity while at the same time making the time you get to spend in bed or on the couch less enjoyable. If you have a desk, create and environment similar to that of your desk at work. The more you feel as though you are actually at the office, the more productive you will be.

Stay Organized

WorkFromHome-StayOrganized

Keeping your home work space clean and organized is a sure way to help you stay focused, especially when home is nothing but distracting. Keeping organizers in your desk with office essentials (tape, scissors, extra pens, whiteout, you get the idea) and make sure to have a clean – fresh – working surface. Try adding an extra monitor for more work space and an external mouse or keyboard to extend your working area.


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