How to be productive working from home

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Working from home isn’t for everyone. Some choose to line up at 7AM to take their seat at a coffee shop with Wi-Fi that acts as a makeshift office where they can plug in and work for several hours. Why do people do that? Mostly because they know one very important thing about themselves- that they have trouble being productive working from home. If you are the type of person who is attracted to every task that needs to be done around the house, and you take time out of the workday to attend to them, working from home may not be easy for you.

Here are some ways to stay focused while at home:

1. Set up a routine. Get ready for the day as if you were going to work.
2. At the beginning of every day, take five minutes to schedule your workday.  Start out with the list of things you need to accomplish, people you need to call, etc.
3. Set up your workspace in a place that is pleasant to work and that is uncluttered. If possible, designate a spot where you will be able to leave your unfinished projects for the next day.
4. Be sure you know what expectations your boss has for you. How will productivity be measured?
5. Communicate as often as possible with people in your organization. Skype or FaceTime can make people who are working from home feel more connected to their teammates.
6. Take a break. Set dates to meet people for lunch or to get out for a walk. Working at home can be lonely and isolating.
7. Make sure your friends and family know that you are WORKING from home. I have a friend who has a pottery studio at home where she works all day. She has a neighbor who expects that because Jane is home, they can ask her to watch their children in a pinch or visit during the day. Someone I know who works at home and is occasionally surrounded by her family actually puts a sign on her back that says, “I’m working” to remind the family that she really can’t watch a movie until after her work is done.
8. Know that if you are working from home for a company that isn’t located near where you live, you might not get as many promotions as the person who is actually in the office everyday unless you find a way to connect and network effectively with people in the company. Make it a point to have as many conversations and team projects as you can.
9. At the end of each day schedule five minutes to review the progress you made on your to do list.
10.  If you are working at home and you feel like you are losing energy get out of the house and take your computer with you to a coffee shop. If that gives you your energy back it’s a sure sign that you need to be around people to work effectively; some people are just wired to be social and need to be around people.

Do you work at home? Share your tips with us!