Working From Home? Top Tips To Help You Focus

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More and more people are choosing to work from home to save time on commuting and achieve a better work-life balance. If you’re working at home, it can be tricky to concentrate, but you’ll soon get the hang of it. Take these handy tips on board to make your new workplace work for you.

Create a suitable workspace

You’ll struggle to focus on work if you’re trying to knuckle down and you’ve got TVs and radios playing, or kids running around. It’s essential to create a suitable workspace within your home. This will help to ensure that you can pay attention to your work and get through tasks as efficiently as possible. If you have a study, make it into an inspiring space, which encourages reflection, creativity and industry. If you don’t have a home office, double up your spare room by adding desks and chairs. You could also section off an area of the kitchen-diner to make a work station. This may be an option if you only work at home from time to time.

To add flair to a plain, dull room, dot some plants and flowers around. Use lamps and rugs to add warmth and inject some style with a leather chair or some printed floor cushions.

Embrace lists

If you’re balancing work with looking after children, or you run more than one business from home, it’s never too late to embrace lists. Make yourself a to-do list at the beginning of each day and work through it. Always start off with pressing deadlines and get your most demanding tasks out of the way first. Most people tend to be more productive in the mornings. Once you’ve ticked off everything on your list, you can relax and start preparing for the next day. It;s always a good idea to try and work ahead of schedule. If you’re a gadget fiend, use the latest apps to keep track of your work commitments and create a daily agenda.

Separate your work and your home life

Although your home may be your workplace, it’s essential to keep work and free time separate. When you’re working, give it your full attention. When you’ve finished and you’re relaxing in the evening, don’t think about work. It’s important to give yourself time off and enjoy quality time with your family and friends.

Be disciplined

When you’re at home, it can be tempting to lie in some mornings, or break off for lunch and enjoy an extended break in front of the television. However, you’ll only fall behind and end up working late, or catching up at the weekends. Try and be as disciplined as you can and stick to a set work routine. If you get everything done before your deadlines, then you can take time to chill out.

Working from home has many benefits, but it’s important to stay focused to make it work for you. Concentrate on the tasks at hand and create your own working environment. Distance yourself from distractions and establish a routine, which suits your daily schedule.