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It can be a big decision making the move from working in an office every day, traveling to work and spending your working hours with your colleagues, to working for yourself and setting up your office at home.
Motivating yourself is often the biggest concern – after making sure you have obtained sufficient business insurance quotes to protect your home office, of course. If there aren’t daily or hourly targets to meet then you may find your willpower flailing a little.
Fortunately, there are things that you can do to make working from home just as productive, if not more so, than working from the office – and here are a few of them:
Choose Your Working Hours – And Stick to Them
This is more relevant to jobs that allow for you to work whenever you feel like, such as ones with monthly deadlines to meet. You don’t have to stick to the standard 9-5, but you can if you feel this is when you are most productive.
Some people work better late at night and others very early in the morning, so once you find your most productive period of the day set your working hours around this and stick to it every day.
Get Ready for Work Before You Start
Working from home all of a sudden brings up the possibility of being able to earn money in your pajamas. This sounds fantastic in theory but being dressed ready for bed will put you in that mindset and will have an impact on your productivity.
If you have set your working hours for the morning, wake up in plenty of time and get dressed to begin work. Obviously a suit is not required but comfortable clothes that distinguish your work time from your relaxation time will help you be more productive.
Get a Clear Workspace
Some people think that another perk of working at home instead of an office is being able to sit on the sofa with the television or radio on. In fact, this is one of the worst things you can do. It is vital to make a clear distinction between home and work, so be sure to set up an office to work from where you can spend your working hours.
If you have a spare room, than this is a great place for your office. Put a desk in there and have your computer or laptop permanently set up. If you don’t have a spare room, make it clear to your family that a section of the living room is for your work belongings and turn it into your dedicated work area.
Take Regular Breaks
Often when working at home, particularly as a freelancer, it can be tempting to get everything you need done in one long session. However, towards the end of this, your productivity will have decreased significantly.
You must schedule breaks into your working day. An hour or even half an hour will clear your head and freshen your mind so you’re ready for another go.
If you work at home for a company, make yourself aware of their break policies and stick to them. It is best to take a break away from your computer rather than surfing the net or you’ll be tempted to keep on working.
This post was written by and paid for by The Co-operative Insurance.
