Working from home can be one of the most rewarding ways to earn a living because there are more ways that you can have a work-life balance. You can spend more time with your family and children. And still know that you are earning an income. However, from time to time, it is not unusual for people to struggle with concentration and productivity. After all, not every day is easy. Some days there can be a lot more on your plate: parents meetings, house chores, and a range of other things that keep your attention off your projects.
Which means the time you do spend working has to be the most productive time that you can possibly make it.
What is interesting is that working from home can actually make you more productive. Some studies have found that 90% of people believe that telecommuting actually makes them more productive, and they are more likely to be able to achieve a work-life balance.
So how can you make your home office the most productive as possible? Is it time to re-evaluate the layout, the style, and even where it is located?
Let’s talk about increasing your productivity in your home office.
Where is your office?
While many of us dream of beautiful large white offices, with a huge iMac, and fantastic artwork. Or perhaps rich Chesterfield couches, a huge oak desk, and deluxe bookshelves that’s not usually the reality. Most often we try to take a corner of a room, work at the kitchen table, or perhaps we are lucky enough to have an office slightly out of the way.
Work-life balance means that when you’re working – you’re working and shouldn’t be disturbed, however, if you are in a high traffic area within your home, those rules might be ignored by children (and pretty much everyone else). It is more beneficial for you to find an area in the house where there is less traffic too. Each time that you come away from work because you are distracted, you lose at least 15 minutes trying to get back on track.
If possible, try to make sure that you are by somewhere with a window. Natural light is great for motivation and good for us in general. Plants outside of the window give you something to look at that are not too distracting but are peaceful. This means that they’re not going to take your mind off what you’re doing but instead give your brain time to make those all-important connections.
Paint your space in a colour that you enjoy. Green is believed to be great for productivity. And since that is what we’re aiming for here, a light green might be ideal.
Purpose
It is essential that every time you sit at your desk or open your laptop, it should be with a purpose. For example, you have 25 Instagram images to create, or you need to research colour psychology.
When you open your laptop, do you know what you’re going to do?
So before you head to your office or open your computer make a list of the tasks that you need to complete every day. This will mean that you will work diligently through your tasks, you have strict goals, and you can cross every item of your list as it is completed.
Growth
Growth is very important within your business. Even if you are running a small business, or you are just a single person working from a desk in your home. Growth is something to look forward to. But it’s how you get there that can change as you go. It is important you make sure that you have somewhere to motivate you.
If you have space on the wall above your desk then add a pinboard. Make sure that it is somewhere that you can see it. Add a clear financial goal written down and pinned to your rpin board. Pin an image of the next holiday that you want to take. Pin five goals that you want to reach in the next six months.
It is equally important to consider how you will do this, often it can be financed by holding small businesses back from making significant changes. A merchant cash advance could be the answer to the problem. But make sure that most of all, your motivation board never makes you feel bad when you look at it. It has to always fill you with joy.
Regular Breaks
There is a temptation to use your two or three hours spare to work solidly. And while there is much to say about deep work, and the method of deep working, regular breaks are essential. Any Pomodoro app worth its salt will always include a five-minute break between each segment, and a more extended break after four sections. You should use these breaks to hydrate, go to the bathroom, and stretch your legs.
Destructions
Every once in a while during a period of thinking, and making notes, you’re going to need a moment of distraction. This distraction will help your brain make different connections and think of different ideas without being pressed.
It’s kind of like when you’re in the shower, and you get your best idea, or at 3 am when you’re just about to fall asleep. Giving your brain space and playing with those distractions can be a potent tool.
It is important that you take control of the type of distractions you have available to you. For example, crossword puzzles, sudoku, a doodle pad, a Pinterest board, things that you can do for a few minutes off, and then leave again.
Music
While binaural music has been around for decades, it is making a comeback in a big way. Many people are finding that binaural music is one of the ways that they can work for extended periods of time and have a brain fully engaged.
Binaural might not work for everybody; it is vital that you do have a range of music that can help though. If you are listening to music that has a lot of lyrics, while you are writing that can interfere with your thought process. However, if you listen to classical music, or other music without vocals, this leaves your brain free to focus on what you’re doing. Although there is much to be said for some upbeat music to get you started.
Play around with different playlists on various streaming services and find what works for you.
Decluttering
If your office is messy, you’re going to find it difficult to concentrate. Even if you think you’re not. Clutter has a mental impact so while you’re sitting working, somewhere in the back of your subconscious, you’ll be thinking about tidying up, which is taking away from your focused effort to get your work done. So before you start work or after you finish, make sure that you declutter your space. Or dedicate one day a week to making sure that your area is clean and tidy.
Distracting People
If you were in an office your friends likely wouldn’t text you as often as they do, you probably wouldn’t get a call from your mum at 2 pm in the afternoon, and you certainly wouldn’t have somebody tapping on the shoulder asking you for a snack.
And while some of those can be quite enjoyable, and you can choose to take the call or ignore it for later, it is vital that people around you understand how important your working time is. After all, this is your job, and as a freelancer, or small business owner, it all comes down to you.
So you can turn your notifications off on your phone, or you can pop your phone in a drawer for a while. Or you can make sure that people understand that your working hours are between Monday and Thursday nine till four. Protect your working time. You have no need to apologise for being unavailable at times where you are working.
Morning Ritual
Every morning of your working days, try to have a routine. If it’s that you need to get the children ready for school and lunchboxes and then take them to school and later arrive home. Start your ritual when you get back, instead of cutting into it with school runs and other things.
Open your notebook and make a list of the things that you want to achieve that day don’t be too over-enthusiastic, be realistic and add between three and five valuable items and five that would be ideal for getting done. Then start work.
Try wherever possible to create a routine that works for you and your family. There will be times that you will be destructive, you probably will lose track of time, however with a little bit of organisation, you can give yourself a much more relaxed working week. Keep yourself motivated by surrounding yourself with images and texts that make you feel good about what you’re doing. Always look for your spare time as ways to write down your ideas, and make the most of the opportunity that you have to work from home.