How to Be Successful Working from Home

Work environment.

Choose an area in your home that has good natural light, and is well ventilated. Working in the basement or closet will really start to close in on you after a few hours’ work and will not serve as much encouragement to ‘go to work’ each day.

Dressing code.

Working from home has many comfort benefits, but working in your pajamas is not one of them! When your work day begins you should be dressed appropriately. Keep it professional all round, and your results will reflect your professionalism. 

Get organized.

This is the first step to a really productive day.  Arrange your work area with all the "office" type tools you need (printer, PC/laptop, stationery etc.) A carafe of water, phone chargers, a great filing system, etc. is essential. And of course, have a diary or day planner. Set yourself up to win!

Prioritize and plan out your day.

In your day planner/diary, write down all the things that need to be done – everything from doing the laundry to making those important calls etc. Block out times for them as accurately as possible. Try a weekly/monthly planner to see your tasks at a glance. This will assist you in ensuring you have great time management and are productive in your work day.

Set up your office hours are, and stick to them.

Your business/work-from-home job is your main priority, so make sure you set your office hours and commit to working within this time slot. It's best to keep your office hours as consistent as possible. 

Get into a routine.

Call it what you will, but training your mind to become most active at certain parts of the day will assist you tremendously. You will be surprised at how your creativity and concentration increases having set specific working hours and routines when you need it most, and in the evenings when it is time to wind down, your mind will be more relaxed and therefore a good night's rest is more likely.

 

Give yourself a break.

Walk away from your computer a couple of times during your work day. Some fresh air will do you a world of good and refresh your mind so as to serve you more effectively. If possible, avoid watching TV or getting stuck into a hobby as this is a very easy way to lose track of time and abandon interest in returning to your work. 

Exercise. Join a gym or take up yoga from home. Exercise is very important; not just for your physical health but mental health too. Sitting at your work area for hours a day will eventually lead to fatigue and then it all becomes a downward spiral of demotivation and disinterest.

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