You just left your job and you are considering working from home so as to spend more time with your kids and family. These tips will help you work from home effectively while also maximizing the limited time you have
Distractions
Distractions are inevitable when you work from home however there are different strategies you can use in overcoming distractions. It is easy to get distracted at home and the lure to do a little job can expand to something else and you can leave your job just to get that little thing done for the whole day. You need to make your working space more personal to you and as such you’ll need bookcases, curtains and screens to physically define your work area. It will help you focus and help reduce distractions.
Isolation
Once you’re out of the office environment everything changes, you won’t know how much the environment changes until you’re out of it. Although, one of the reasons why you actually wanted to work from home is because of your kids and family, you still need to stay in touch with your office. Isolating yourself just because you work from home won’t cut it with building your profile. Develop solid relationships with others who work from home as well, schedule lunch with friends and keep the lines of communication open with your colleagues both from work and around you. It helps you focus.
Interruptions
If you think leaving that office ends interruptions think again. Just because mommy is home does not necessarily mean you she can’t be bothered by her kids. Just like in the office people will keep popping by and while you’re at home it won’t stop your kids from asking you questions as well as your partner telling you to please pick up his dry-cleaning. One strategy that can be used to curtail this situation is by communicating and training your family to understand that your presence at home does not mean you’ll always be available. When mommy is working, the noise level should be down and no one should touch mommy’s office equipment.
Procrastination
The presence of your boss can help hasten you up at times but in absence of him/her you tend to do things a little bit slow now imagine if there was no one looking over your shoulder. It’s easy to procrastinate when you’re home as you are faced with a lot of distractions. In situations like this, you create a personal work schedule and develop your self-discipline muscles. Take your calendar and assign specific tasks to specific blocks and reward yourself then you stay on it as it helps with motivation.
Gadget addiction
Where you addicted to your phone at the office? It gets worse when you start working from home. Fine, you may feel its not getting to you but it goes a long way in affecting your job and your family as a whole because you might as well spend more time on your phone than the time u spend with your family. In cases like this, take e-mail breaks and let your colleagues know you won’t be checking your inbox while you work on a project. You as well let them know you’ll call them if anything comes up.
photo credit:theblachomeschool.com
