How to work from home without wasting time

Those who work from home regularly say they feel remote working allows them to be more productive. But for those who don’t do it very often, the home offers a variety of things that can distract you from the task at hand.

Here, Emma Johnson, creator of WealthySingleMommy.com, offers up her top tips for avoiding distractions without going crazy.

Make a schedule
Even though you don’t have to commute into the office, you still need to set your alarm and get out of bed as normal and decide what time you’ll end work. If family requirements don’t impose set times, you have to establish them yourself. A schedule helps you define the boundary between work and your personal life, which can become blurred when you work from home.

Get plenty of social interaction
Working from home can be isolating and humans are naturally social animals. When you’re setting your schedule for the weeks or months ahead, be sure to pencil in some time to meet friends for lunch or after work. If time and distance permits, go in to the office to have meetings with your boss and team on a regular basis. Find networking events in your area so you can get to know like-minded professionals. Find a hobby and make time for it.

Join an online community
Office workers have a built-in network of colleagues they can chat to when they have ideas or questions. Remote workers don’t have that advantage, so it’s up to you to find online forums and groups or a network of colleagues that you can turn to when you need it.

Put on your adult clothes
Professionalism is about more than your attitude. Emma says she puts on decent clothes that aren’t torn or raggedy and applies simple make-up every morning because it helps her perform like a professional. She also says it can help change the perception of the remote worker as a slacker who sits in front of the TV in their pyjamas occasionally answering emails.

Get a decent workspace
If you have the space for it, buy yourself a nice desk and office chair and invest in proper equipment. Having your own ‘office’ might motivate you to stay away from that new series on Netflix until you finish work. And if you go through the trouble of setting one up, keep it tidy like you would at the company’s office.

Switch it up
Finding yourself procrastinating on a particular project? Try a change of scenery. Move to a different room of your house, or head out to your favourite café with your laptop. Lots of businesses offer free wifi, so take advantage of a new environment to help your mind refocus on the task at hand.

Read the original article from Forbes at onforb.es/1PruMxG