Do Your Homework!
October 2, 2009 Office Insight, Trends
Working from home can be a blessing and a curse. In some, a change of scenery helps them concentrate better, get more work done, and boost their creativity. On the other hand, others that we’ve talked to say that it does the exact opposite.
Whatever side of the coin you’re on, a good time management plan really minimizes the negatives and amplifies the positives of working from home. Here are ten of our favorite tips paraphrased from ZenHabits.com:
1. Set a morning routine – shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, or do it all in reverse, it’s the structure that helps get you going for the day.
2. Put together a daily work schedule – try to check and respond to emails at the same time and try to be “working” during the same time period each day (even if you’re watching
Good Morning America) – this will allow coworkers to get in contact with you, and help you to not miss anything!
3. At the end of the day, clean up! – There’s nothing worse then feeling like you should be doing more work when the work day’s over with. Plus, it’ll help you to feel fresh the next morning, too.
4. Go outside for a bit – Take in a little bit of the “secret life of daytime” that you’ve been missing by toiling in the office! It’ll keep you happy and refreshed.
5. No friends during work time – Having visitors is really sweet, but sometimes you just need to crank some work out, and they end up being a distraction. We think that time you set aside for work is perfect for just that, so no friends (unless they’re delivering a pizza).
6. Dress up a little – Pajamas are great and comfortable, but let’s be honest- have you ever felt like doing anything besides sleeping and watching the Price is Right while wearing them? Me either.
7. Music, or none, matters – Whatever you’re listening to, whether it’s NPR, Britney Spears, or Depeche Mode, influences your mood – make sure that you’re putting yourself in a great frame of mind for whatever the job is that you’re doing.
8. TV will screw you up – A little bit of TV is great, especially if you’re waiting to catch the highlights of the Yankee game, but if you’re not careful, you’ll end up watching the Orioles, Red Sox, Tigers, and Mike Tyson fight, too.
9. Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow – Fleetwood Mac jokes aside, having a to-do list for the next day with three things you need to do and three things that aren’t essential but need to be done will help you clear things up before you quit working for the day.
10. Coffee, yes please! – Make sure to use all the conveniences of home to your advantage. It’s relaxing, and you’ll be able to rub it in to your office coworkers that you made yourself some fresh juice or a double mocha latte, too!
Don’t count out the advantages of having a good ergonomic office chair either- our Cobi or Amia would fit perfectly in any home office!
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