Learning how to work from home successfully can bring you much joy and peace. Ready to change the pattern of your life? The notion of working from home seems to evoke one of two responses. It’s either, “Kick off your shoes and let’s have a dance party,” or, “I’d be so lonesome, I could die.” The truth is, neither response is quite accurate. Working from home isn’t a ticket to play games and it isn’t a life lived in a white padded cell.
It’s freeing and it’s more responsibility. Without anyone looking over your shoulder, you have to be both an employee and an accountability coach. That said, with the right tools of the trade, a nifty space to hunker down in, and a few checks and balances, you can turn your home office into a sanctuary and a workspace.
Consider Task Managers
Make a few task managers your friends. There are so many tools out there today, we don’t even know where to start. Task managers are to-do lists boosted with caffeine. They help you create tasks according to projects, organize folders, set reminders, and even collaborate with co-workers.
Many of these tools can also tie into your calendar (or you can use their calendar as your hub). If you’re a Google aficionado, then Google Keep may be an option for you. It’s a note-taking app with a checklist feature to help you tick your day away. You can create voice notes, add pictures, and organise things according to colour.
Another heavy-hitter is Trello. It works off a dashboard where you can organize cards pertaining to projects. It also includes an instant messaging feature for all those collaborations. Wunderlist and Todoist are other faithful sidekicks that may become your everyday pals.
Decorate Your Space
We know; every lad out there is rolling his eyes. Don’t scroll on yet! What we mean is, make your space your own. Make it someplace you want to work every day. Whether you’re living in a small apartment or working out of your loft in South Yarra, you have to set things up the way you like them. This matters (whether you think it does or it doesn’t).
Plug in a mini-fridge under your desk for easy access to those workday cold-drip coffees or kombuchas. Invest in an ergonomic chair. Hang that poster of Bali to inspire you to press on every day. Drop-in a plant or two to bring in some of the natural elements.
The point is, there’s something hidden deep within our minds that responds positively to a comfortable, cosy space in lieu of a desk with stains on it from last week’s fish and chips.
Regularly Stretch Your Legs… or Something
Back to our task managers. Use one of their bells and whistles to set a few timers reminding you to stretch your legs… or something. If you can’t get up right then and there, then try a few hand stretches to ward off the potentiality of carpal tunnel syndrome.
The beauty of working from home is that no one’s going to come to your desk and bother you with the details of last night’s sordid affair down at the pub. That’s also the detriment. No one’s coming by to coerce you to take a trip to the water cooler, or anywhere else for that matter.
Long working hours cause people to sit and stare at a screen for far too long. This means they’re not getting the blood circulating; they’re putting continual stress on certain joints; metabolic rates are plummeting. No paychecks (even the ones that’ll get you to Bali) are worth damaging your health. So, be sure your system’s getting a healthy dose of daily movement.
Invest In Tech
With your to-dos laid out, a cosy space to call home, and a promise to keep your health in check, it’s time to type. With remote work, there’s no room for Internet glitches. If it comes down to the ergonomic chair vs. the new router, go for the router. (The chair will be pointless if your boss hates you for always chiming in too late.)
You’ll want a laptop with a smooth operating system, a fast router, and maybe even a pair of dual monitors. If you’re going to stare at a screen all day, you might as well expand the landscape and reduce the instances of feeling cluttered. Make sure all your notifications are on (and they aren’t being drowned out by your latest Spotify playlist).
Walk a Balanced Line
Work-from-homers often report an inability to “shut things down” at five o’clock. You may be sitting in the living room catching up on the latest episode of Outlander but, when you hear that Trello alarm go off, you find yourself increasingly tempted to see what it’s all about.
Work-life balance is very important. While there’s the benefit of pulling up to your ergonomic chair in your PJs to get a jump on the day, there’s also the disadvantage of putting off some much-needed downtime because a new project popped up and you’re anxious to have a look.
How to Work from Home Successfully
How to work successfully from home? Do it your way! We hope these remote work tips have helped, but working from home looks different for everyone. Some folks are discipline machines. Others need a checklist or two to stay in line.
Still, we can know you can do it. With a little bit of forethought, you’re on track to corner your market and take over the world in a pair of fuzzy slippers.
Learning how to work from home successfully is super rewarding. Remember it is all in the set up!
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