4 Ways to Make Working from Home a Little Easier
Working from home can be a real challenge, especially if you weren’t ready to make the transition from cubicle to home office. To make your transition to remote work a little easier, you should do the following four things:
1. Prepare for IT Emergencies
You don’t have an IT team to call up whenever your internet is on the fritz or whenever your computer isn’t turning on. When you work from home, you have to fulfill the role of IT person.
For the tech-averse, that’s not comforting to hear. The good news is that you can prepare for these types of work problems so that you can jump back to work as soon as possible. What can you do?
Always have a back-up plan. An ethernet cable or mobile hotspot can help you out in times when your modem isn’t giving you the best internet connection. An old laptop, tablet or phone can come in handy any time your office tech is giving you trouble. So, don’t throw out any old devices that can still be put to use. If you don’t have any old devices, you should consider buying cheap second-hand ones to use as back-ups.
Set up an emergency fund for any last-minute repairs or emergency replacements. If you don’t have enough savings on-hand, you should consider getting a line of credit as a safety net. Click here to see how to get a line of credit online and what qualifications you have to meet to apply for one. It’s important to only use your bank line of credit for emergencies, not for casual tech shopping. If your phone or computer breaks down and you have no way to finish your work, that’s an emergency. Upgrading to the latest smartphone isn’t.
2. Get Rid of Distractions
Online distractions like social media or streaming websites could pull you away from your unopened emails and unfinished projects. Use website blockers to stay out of them during your work hours. You should turn off notifications for certain apps on your phone during the day. You don’t need to know that someone commented on your Instagram story or that you were tagged in a Facebook post.
As for distractions like outside noise, you can use noise-canceling headphones or white noise apps to block them out. And a closed door with a lock is a good way to keep anyone from walking through and interrupting your workflow.
3. Have a Dedicated Office Space
You should have a private area of your home that you solely use as an office. Your living room couch, kitchen island, dining room table or your bed is not agood place to set up shop. This isn’t just because a dedicated office-space is better for your focus and productivity.
It also helps you separate your work from essential elements of your home-life. For instance, research shows that working while in bed ruins your sleep quality because it forces you to associate your bedroom with work-related tasks and stress. You need to separate your work from these areas of the home so that you can unwind when you clock out.
4. Take Better Breaks
People assume that working from home means that you’re on break all of the time. But the opposite is true. Research shows that most people skip breaks while working from home because they’re worried about productivity. But breaks are important for your motivation and productivity. That’s why you should prioritize taking time away from your desk.
Go for a short walk outside. Make yourself a nice cup of coffee. Do a round of guided meditation. Call up a friend for a quick chat. Do anything that will make you feel refreshed and ready to get back to business.
Working from home could be your new reality. This could be how you do your job from this point on. So, you should do your best to make sure that you’re doing it right.
