Working from home can be difficult especially during the holiday season. There are countless potential disruptions. It is also easy to feel lonely being the only one working amidst the chaos at home. This shouldn’t be the case.
Christmas is here. I bet there are some of you who have projects that are due in January. Oh unto you! January is about a week from now. I know how it feels working from home and it’s the holiday. Kids are out screaming their lungs out, cousins, uncles and aunts are reminiscing the good old days. You do not have to feel sorry for yourself.
Follow me as I breakdown the easy tips that will ensure you finalize that project you are dreading.
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Working from home ought to be enjoyable, elicit better productivity and harness potential.
How do you do this?
- Set up a Workspace or home office
Having a designated space for all work related activities will help you to maintain discipline and focus. Instead of checking and replying to mails, texts or calls while watching TV, create a workspace.
In the last blog, we looked at 10 Must-have Home Office Equipment. Make use of this to come up with a safe space for your work and sanity.
- Set strict Office Space rules
When you are done setting up your workspace, set ground rules that are to be followed by all including you. If there are kids around, let it be clear to them that if they want to continue to enjoy your sweat, they need to stay away from the workspace.
For adults, make sure they understand your schedule and probably negotiate times when you can talk, share equipment or participate in a chore.
Setting boundaries is a great way of ensuring that your schedule will flow more efficiently.
- Time Management
After you have set up your workspace and the rules, how you manage the time you have is what will determine whether you will finish your work on time.
Manage your time based on your productivity. Figure out the time of day when you are most productive and when you are likely to be less productive.
When you have figured out your ‘productivity clock’, make use of time-tracking apps such as callpesa or pomofocus. These automatic time-tracking apps help a lot to better manage time and come up with a routine.
Routines are as powerful as clocks. Existing habits happen subconsciously and come naturally. Hence limiting room for slacking.
- Step Outside for Breaks
In the normal office schedule, there are breaks. Breaks for tea, lunch and stretching. They are not designed just for eating or drinking. They are strategically allocated for a chance to disconnect from work and rejuvenate the mind and body.
Move away from your computer, phone and from the workspace. Loosen up and get time to breathe fresh air, listen to the birds chirping, tease the kids and joke around with your family. This will release tension and burnout. Take the breaks in their entirety. If it is lunch time, take your time and enjoy that home-cooked meal.
Conclusion
These are just basic guidelines. Be creative! You know yourself better. However, there are some basics that have to be followed if you are to finalise that project.
Do not be too hard on yourself, it is the holiday. When you drift away do not be too disappointed with yourself. Instead, positively ask yourself if you were at the office would you do the same thing? Then humbly get back to work. Stay positive, your perspective is your greatest power.