Working from home seems to be a great proposition, but people who actually do that all day, know how tough it is.
More so, if you have kids, then things are even more complicated. You are in the middle of some important work, but your kid wants your help in completing one of his assignments. What do you do, then?
You have a deadline to meet, but your toddler doesn’t understand that, he wants your complete attention. This is mostly the case when you are working from home, but don’t get discouraged.
Instead, you can divide your time in such a manner that it doesn’t cross path with your personal work.
The Brighter Side of Working from Home:
Working from home can be fun because there is no hurry of reaching your office on time, there is no one shouting at you or no need to have lunch outside.
It also helps you, in maintaining the work life balance. But, that would only be possible when you know your limit and how much work will be sufficient.
Sometimes, when you are working from home, you feel that you will be able to complete more and more task, but that is not the case. You will have to decide first, why you are working from home and how much workload you can take comfortably.
If you have a baby, then you will have to attend him first, so you will have to take only that much of work, which you will be able to complete successfully while your baby is sleeping.
Working from home actually gives you that much of liberty where you can decide on the work load you would love to handle. Once you are working from the office, then nobody will ask you whether you are comfortable to handle so much of work pressure or not!
It’s not a bad idea to have a mobile office. Your office will roam around with you and it starts whenever you start your laptop. It sounds great, right? Then Why not enjoy this wonderful way of working?
Tips for Working from Home:
Here we will be discussing some tips that you can use to make working from home a less stressful and more of a fun thing.
1. Maintaining a work schedule:
It is easy to overwork yourself when you are working from home. But, you will have to set a time frame beyond which you won’t entertain any calls or emails for work.
While working from home, it is crucial that you don’t get carried away by the work load.
So, if you are good with managing your time , then you won’t have much of a problem in working from home.
2. Working for the occasion:
In order to get into the mood for working from home, it is important that you leave aside your pajamas and put on some decent clothes.
You don’t have to dress up as if you are going to the office, but at least put on something that will help you in setting a clear boundary between relaxation and work.
3. Clearly communicate with family:
When you are working from home your family support is crucial. They need to understand that you are working and during that period you don’t want any disturbance.
When you are working at the office, then nobody is going to disturb you, but when you are at home, things are a bit different. Therefore, you will have to set boundaries for your family members.
4. Separate devices for professional and personal use:
When you are working from home, try to use separate means of communication. If you mix up your personal and professional calls and emails, then things might get confusing down the line.
So, ensure that you take advantage of setting up two different means of communication to avoid these complications.
5. Stay connected electronically:
When you are working from home, it automatically distances you from your co-workers.
Therefore, in order to stay connected with them, you can use the social networking sites like LinkedIn.
If you are thinking about catching up with your employer or past employers, then you will find them active on LinkedIn groups that you can join. You can keep on posting comments, so that you can keep your connection with the community.
6. Save for yourself:
This is one aspect, which goes for a toss if you are not a careful person. It might happen that you might end up spending the whole amount that you receive at the end of the month.
There is no employer around you to help you with your savings, therefore, you are on your own to plan everything yourself.
Have a proper retirement plan and put aside some amount for that, so you don’t have to worry about it later.
7. Ensure you have the right paper works:
In case, you are starting a small business at home, then it is highly important that you have all the business paperwork completed with proper registration done.
You must possess the knowledge of the occupational license that you need to have when you are starting the business. Take proper permits from local government, so that you can operate it successfully.
8. Must have basic troubleshooting knowledge:
As you are working from home, there might be situations when your computer might freeze on you. At that point of time, it will help you a lot if you know how to fix some of the basic system errors.
Else keep in handy some help in the form of an expert who knows how to fix errors or you can take it straight to the store where they will fix it for you.
9. Keep your children away:
This is the most difficult part when it comes to working from home. You can make adults understand that you are working, but how will you explain a toddler that you don’t want them to disturb you when you are working.
Either you work only when they are sleeping or you can hire a nanny who will baby sit while you work or ask your husband to look after the kid while you complete your work.
10. Break the misconception:
Most people have the idea that when you are working from home, then it means that you will be chilling at home for most of the time. But, break that misconception by pinging in at the onset of the office hours.
Try to reply as soon as someone reaches out to you as this will show that you are equally prompt when you are working from home.
Another problem is that when you are working from home and went to the office once in a while, then people might forget the amount of work you are doing sitting at home.
Therefore, catch up with your colleagues and employer through video conferencing everyday. Keep your boss updated with the work you have done all throughout the day. During the team meeting, make your presence felt through conferencing as well.
11. Mix and match to get back the concentration:
The major problem with working from home is that when there is a deadline that you have to meet, you feel it almost impossible to concentrate on your work.
You feel like doing other stuffs rather than concentrating on your work. It is a sign that you are in need of that 10 minute break, which will help you in getting back your concentration level.
Figure what household chores are left that can be completed within these 10 minutes. If you have to do dusting or chop vegetables, then do it one by one when you are taking the break from your work.
12. Take care of internet connection:
When you are working from home, internet connection is an important factor. So, it is important that you have a plan B ready.
In case, your internet connection goes kaput and you have to send an important mail, then what?
You can use your smartphone data package to tether the internet connection and work while your home internet connection gets fixed.
You can also make use of the Wi-Fi connection of some nearby coffee shop, if you have run out of your data package while working. So, always stay prepared with an alternative plan.
