Mornings without commutes and meetings in your living room have their perks. For many employees, however, transitioning from an office setting to working from home presents unique challenges. According to information from the 2019 Latin American Coworking Summit, flexible workspaces have a global market value of $26 billion. As businesses adjust to the effects of the novel coronavirus, many more people are working from home. With teleworking here to stay, how can employees who work from? Here are a few tips to stay productive while working from home while establishing healthy boundaries.
1. Create an office setting
Creating a space just for work can provide a psychological cue to yourself that it's time to work, according to information on the Kansas University Human Resource Management website. If you usually flop on the couch and surf the internet in your downtime, it is easy to fall into that routine if you sit on the same couch when you work from home.
2. Set a schedule and stick to it
While some aspects of teleworking are more relaxed than an office setting, employees will benefit from keeping a strict schedule while working from home. This can help keep yourself on task and away from at-home distractions, like surfing the internet or cleaning a stack of dirty dishes. Being organized will help you work efficiently so you can complete your tasks by the end of the workday. You can also schedule brief breaks, 10 to 15 minutes long, every few hours to refresh yourself and stay energized. When the workday is over, be sure to disconnect. Working from home can make it easy for work-related tasks to take over your schedule, and it is tempting to answer emails in your kitchen at 8 p.m. if you did this during the workday. You can maintain a healthy work-life balance by focusing strictly on work during your scheduled working hours and disconnecting once the workday is done.
3. Eliminate Distractions
While working without coworkers may make it easier to focus, working from home can introduce new distractions. Noisy neighbors, pets demanding attention, or family members in the home can take a toll on your productivity. If you have family members or roommates around while you are working communicate your schedule to them and ask for them to stay quiet, particularly during difficult tasks. If you can, create your designated workspace in a separate room with a door you can close. It can also be helpful to write a schedule out and put it in a public place so everyone knows what your schedule is. You can also use headphones to minimize outside noise or use productivity applications for your phone and computer to keep you focused.
Whether you are working from home temporarily or teleworking full time, transitioning to remote work is an adjustment. After you set up a space and schedule that works for you, you can enjoy pursuing your career from the comforts of home.