Working from home has definite benefits and problems. For example, you get to stay home with your family and pets. However, it’s difficult to concentrate if your family or pets are demanding your attention. Here are five ideas to keep everyone happy: your employer, your family and you.
1. Take Care of Your Nutrition
Like most workplaces, unless there is a cafeteria on the premises, staff need to either bring their lunches or venture out in search of food. At home you will have more eating choices, so try to make them healthy ones. For example, look into nutritious powders by watching testimonies like this Morning Complete review.
Try to make healthy choices all day so working from home does not cause a big weight gain. Starting out right in the morning will help cut the cravings and may even help you think better.
2. Establish Rules About Interruptions
If you are home alone working, you pretty much have it made. Your only distractions will be self-inflicted ones. Schedule in internet browsing time so you are not tempted to do it all day.
If you are working at home with a family and pets, it gets a little trickier. Make sure your pets have everything they need before you settle down to your remote workday. If they are taken care of, they may sleep a good portion of the day.
Children are not so easy. They are likely to think that since you are home, you are at their disposal. As with the pets, make sure your children have food and plenty to do to keep them occupied. Try taping a schedule to your door that indicates when they can knock and when they can’t.
If they are old enough to have laptops, schedule meeting times with them and encourage them to email you with questions instead of knocking on your door.
A significant other can be a big help in trading off with you for childminding if your children are younger, If you are on your own, you might need to splurge for a babysitter since any child under 10 will need more constant attention.
3. Plan Breaks Throughout the Day
Try aiming for two short breaks and a longer lunch break every day. During your breaks, watch something with your children, take the dog for a walk, or eat a healthy lunch. Breaks are good for both you and your family. They help your brain to reset and become more productive and give you a change of scenery.
If you do put a schedule on your door, indicate your break times so you family can look forward to them. If they know one is coming up soon, they will be less tempted to interrupt you when they aren’t supposed to.
4. Make Your Workspace as Comfortable as Possible
Here is where some remote workers have a great advantage over others. Your home office can be anything from a gorgeous pool house to a chair with a laptop on your actual lap. Obviously, you will do more work and be more comfortable if you have a desk and a door that closes.
However, you can make the most out of whatever set up is available to you. Try putting on some soothing music if that helps your productivity.
Also consider buying plants for that area. The greenery will be calming and it will put extra oxygen in the air.
If you don’t already have a real desk chair, consider buying an ergonomic one. Working from home should not give you chronic problems like backaches.
5. Don’t Work a Longer Day
At your actual work office, you probably do not just sit at your desk all day, every day. You most likely get up and move to various meeting rooms, take lunch breaks in the staff lounge and have impromptu meetings with colleagues you bump into in the lobby.
Since you are not actually at your office, you may feel pressured to work longer or more inconvenient hours from home. Try to stick to your normal working hours.
Just because a group sets up an online meeting outside your schedule does not mean you need to attend it. Also, do not fall into the trap of checking email after you have closed your laptop and ended work for the day. Be kind to yourself and don’t work more hours than you do when you’re there in person.
Working remotely can go smoothly if you follow a schedule, eat well, and take breaks. Spending more time at home should not be stressful.
