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Working from home is great. You can be flexible, work around personal commitments and avoid office-based distractions. But, working from home is also hard… The temptation to get chores done in work hours. It can be lonely. It’s difficult to keep focussed. Check out our rules for working from home to help keep you motivated and at your productive best!
Go To Work
It’s important to have a designated work area that you go to (and then leave!) each day. That might not be easy, depending on space, but even if your ‘office’ is in your bedroom or dining room, have a specific desk space that you only use for working. Being able to step away from work for lunch breaks and at the end of the day will help you keep a healthy work-life balance.
Dress For Work
Regardless of the hours you work, length of time or working pattern, prepare for your day as you always have. Imagine you have a 9am meeting every day. Get up, get showered, get dressed and have breakfast. Go to your ‘office’ ready and in the right mindset. It might seem easier and quicker to just throw something comfy on and get started with work, but ultimately you’ll get into bad habits and be less productive.
Keep In Touch
Don’t spend days on end looking at the same walls and never speaking with anyone. If you have a team, chat to them regularly. General conversation is nice, and you can also share ideas and support each other. If you don’t have a team, talk to your customers, suppliers or anyone else in your network. It’s good to stay in touch and will help to remind you why you’re doing what you do!
Structure Your Day
Regardless of your working pattern, keep it structured. To make the most of your day, designate time slots (being realistic!) for emails, marketing, lead generation and providing your products and services. Ideally, make tomorrows to-do list at the end of each working day. That way you can prioritise the tasks you need to get done and hit the ground running.
Don’t Get Distracted
Being at home, you’ll have several tasks other than work that need doing. Not to mention keeping up to date with the latest TV series’ and checking what’s happening on social media… Don’t get distracted! You’re still at work and if you weren’t working from home you wouldn’t be able to do those things. Imagine that’s the case and keep focussed. Ensuring you have somewhere to ‘Go To Work’ will really help with this.
Eat
It’s easy to keep working and forget to eat, or just grab something to snack on, but it’s bad for productivity and your overall health. Make time to ensure you have proper meals at the right times – it’s vital for keeping your brain engaged and your mind and body in good shape.
Get Out
Take a proper break and get outside. It doesn’t have to be long, but it does need to be away from your desk and in the fresh air. You’ll be amazed how much more productive you are afterwards, and if you tie it in with lunch (or other food break) you’ll get a few more minutes away from your desk to get completely refreshed.
We’d love to hear your thoughts. Keep in touch: makeithappen@mbsmih.com or 01903 688789