Working from home, whether you’re running a business, freelancing or working remotely as an employee is great for some people and not quite as good for others. Sure, you’re able to get up late, work in your pyjamas and switch your schedule around to make the most of your day, but you always have to contend with noisy kids, loneliness, and lack of motivation.
If you are being asked to work from home, or you plan to do so for your own reasons, it is then important that you take steps to make working from home work for you. Here are some of the ways to do just that:
Set Boundaries
If you’re working from home and you have a family, you will need to set strong boundaries for what is and is not appropriate when you’re working. Some family members will think that because you’re home, you’re free to run errands, entertain them or listen to their noise. You need to make it clear that this won’t be the case and when you’re working, you’re working.
Keep Taking the Kids to Nursery
If you have kids, working from home doesn’t mean that you need to keep them with you at all times. You are, after all, still working, so if you need your space, and silence to work on a project, don’t worry about taking the kids to nursery, even if it’s only for a couple of hours a day or once or twice a week.
Consider Using a Co-Working Space
A co working space is basically just a large office that freelancers and home-workers can use as a peaceful place to get their work done. If the loneliness of working from home gets to you, or you simply can’t concentrate because your family are making too much noise, going to such a place, even if it’s only occasionally, could make all the difference to your state of mind and you’ll still have much more freedom than you would in an actual office.
Set Up Your Own Space
Ideally, if you’re working from home, you should set aside your own space where you can work interrupted. This could be a converted shed in the back garden, a spare room or even a corner of the living room and kitchen – just let the rest of the family know it’s a ‘no-fly zone’ and you’ll be able to get your work done without too many distractions.
Get Rid of Distractions
One of the biggest downsides of working from home is that there are no watchful eyes checking that you are doing what you should be. It is, therefore, easy to get up late, decide to catch up on the latest episode of Twin Peaks or go out for coffee instead of knuckling down and getting the work done. That’s why you need to, as far as possible, remove any distractions from your environment that are likely to prevent you from being productive.
Do you work from home? What have you done to make it work for you?