The Benefits of Working at Home
Posted February 24th, 2014
These days, many employers are becoming more flexible with employee working arrangements, including working at home. If you are one of those fortunate to work from home, you know that it has its own challenges, among them how to filter out the distractions and maintain productivity.
If you are going to be working from home for the first time, what can you do to make sure you have the best kind of working environment?
The first thing to keep in mind is that the number of distractions you will be confronted with at home will be a lot greater than in an office setting. At home, you won’t have the kind of structure and routine that an office setting provides.
For example, you wouldn’t have a friend or neighbor dropping by at work. So, if that kind of thing happens, you will have to take care of it right away and explain to the person that, as much as you would like to talk with him or her, you have to work, and set up a time to visit or chat later.
You also want to find an area that is free of distractions – a room without a television in it, for example.
You also want to set up some rules for yourself to follow. One rule of prime importance is starting time. You should set a firm start time and stick to it, no matter what. It is all too easy to start a few minutes late because of some reason or other, but then gradually those few minutes may grow to a half hour or longer. It is best to get into a firm routine right away and stick to it to maintain productivity.
Attire is another aspect to consider. You want to dress comfortably, but working in pajamas is definitely not recommended. Again, you want to put yourself into an environment and frame of mind that is conducive to work, and clothing you use for sleeping is not the best choice.
Listening to music is also a good way to maintain focus, although listening to chatter on the radio can be distracting. For that reason, you may want to have your own music library.
Working at home takes a lot more discipline than working in an office. You’ve no boss looking over your shoulder, no co-workers to notice if you’re slacking. Start out with good habits – starting at a set time every day, dressing in real clothes every day, keeping distractions at a minimum – and you should find that you’re much more productive working at home than in an office.
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