Editor’s Note: Here at Dispatches, we are always looking for ways to help our readers do things. For some of our readers, that means helping navigate the working world, for others, it means assisting in the ever challenging question, “what’s for dinner?” For still others, it means figuring out how to balance family life with everything else. In an effort to aid in all of these endeavors, we have collaborated on this article written specifically for our readers.
More of us are now able to work from home, be that because of new policies in our jobs, we work as freelancers, or we are starting up a brand new business.
There are many positives of working from home: it can be more comfortable and quiet, you do not have to spend money on commuting to the office every day, you can work in your pajamas.
There can also be negatives, too: you solely have yourself for company all day and may find it difficult to bounce ideas off other people, it is easy to get distracted by housework and chores and you may find yourself procrastinating online as there is unlikely to be the same filters on your home internet compared to the filters at the office.
If you do work from home, an essential aspect of that is allowing yourself a comfortable, not cramped and decluttered space to work in. This is easier said than done, as your workspace at home may be in the spare room where lots of things are stored. Your space may be in the closet under the stairs which could be pretty small, dark and uncomfortable or your space could even be in the basement which has a tendency to get drafty and cold pretty quickly.
So, you will need to take steps to ensure your space is creative, prevents your attention from being diverted and is as comfortable as you can possibly make it. A first step that you could do is tidying your space up. Store everything that is irrelevant to your work away somewhere which is safe and unreachable during your working hours. Make sure your space is set up correctly for you (a desk, comfy chair, a good quality shredder which you can get from websites like paper shredder pros, good lighting, and that your computer is set up in a good position for you). Then, make sure you will not get distracted by something as simple as looking out of the window – if need be, close the curtains and shut the window to prevent any noise from filtering in.
Another task you could do for when you are working at home is to set yourself working hours, as you would in you were working in an office. Also, do not answer any text messages or phone calls unless it is absolutely necessary. Do not answer the door unless you are expecting someone. If your work does not require internet access, then turn off the internet router until you are finished working.
Working from home can be extremely beneficial for people who have busy family lives or extenuating circumstances which can sometimes mean they can only work part-time in other jobs. More employers are seeing and reaping, the benefits of employees working from home and it can also be seen an extremely modern and evolving way of working – meaning that more companies are starting to allow employees to work from home at a very fast rate.
You might also be interested in expanding or extending your home to create an office. While the initial construction might hinder your workflow, the end result may ultimately make you more productive!
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