4 Easy Tips To Make Working From Home a Huge Success
Working from home used to be pretty rare. However, over the last few years, many employees and business owners have been forced to conduct their daily work from home, mainly due to the lockdowns and quarantines resulting from the invasion of Covid-19.
However, working from home has its perks, and it may be the way of the future. You can make it highly successful with a few tweaks and some planning.
Here is how to do just that!
Tip #1: Find Some Space
First, you will need to find an area or room in your home – or a space outside, such as a garage or shed to set up your office. It should be a quiet location that is uncluttered and free from distractions.
You will not be able to concentrate if you set up a workstation on the kitchen table, as there will be a constant stream of family members flowing in and out of the room. Small children will be excited to have you at home and want to ‘help’ you with your essential tasks.
Tip #2: Furnish the Space
If your occupation requires you to be based in an office environment, you will need to set up your home area with all the furnishings you require to have a comfortable and efficient workspace. You will need a desk big enough to sit a computer on, some storage cupboards or shelves, and an ergonomic chair.
Set up enough storage furniture to house all of your essentials so that no clutter gets in the way of your workflow and distracts your thoughts. If you don’t have a spare room to set up a home working area, you could put a desk in the corner of your lounge or dining room.
Opt for a cabinet desk that can be closed up at the end of the working day so that you can mentally leave your work and enjoy time at home. If your work equipment is in full sight of you when you are supposed to be “at home,” it will distract you, and you will be tempted to keep working.
Mentally, you will feel as if you are never away from work. Locking your equipment away at the end of the day will also prevent it from getting lost or damaged by young children or your pet dog. You could put up a foldable room divider screen to further segregate work from home.
Tip #3: Set Up Work Equipment
You will likely need to invest in some technology – unless your employer allows you to borrow computer equipment and other necessities from the company. You will need a computer or a laptop to receive emails, participate in online meetings, and do general work duties.
A printer and a document shredder may also come in useful. Ensure you have a good stock of stationery such as pens, paper, and printer ink. An all-in-one ink tank printer is an excellent investment if you need to print many documents, as it can hold larger quantities of ink than a regular printer.
A reliable source of WiFi is essential to communicate with other employees and company staff, so a broadband router is a crucial piece of kit. The WiFi signal must be highly reliable if you are conducting online meetings. Always opt for the best deal with excellent data and download speeds.
If you’re looking for deals on internet providers, it’s worth comparing prices and shopping around for the most reputable deals. Look for internet providers near me online to see which ones come up on top.
Good lighting is vital to prevent your eyes from becoming strained and painful. If you don’t have a natural light source, buy a good-quality desk lamp. In the lamp, use LED bulbs of 5 to 10 watts with a cool hue.
Tip #4: Be Comfortable
Your home office should be comfortable – a place you enjoy sitting in. If it is not, your mood will soon darken, and home-working will become a depressing chore. Decorate your workspace with some pieces of art or photographs. Paint the walls in a color that makes you feel happy and productive.
Ensure there is plenty of natural light entering the room. Sit near a window. This way, you can get some essential vitamin D and be inspired by what’s happening outside the world. Install heating or air conditioning to keep the temperature ambient, as being too hot can make you sluggish and unproductive.
Allow yourself some luxuries! This can be a fancy coffee machine or an integrated sound system with speakers. Whatever helps make you more comfortable and efficient, buy it.
Working from home can be unique, so make it so. Appreciate not having the daily commute on a sweltering underground carriage and being home at a reasonable hour every day! While also being able to spend more precious time with your loved ones.
