Working from home: The ground rules

Working from home is many peoples idea of heaven, an extra hour in bed, no early morning commutes sandwiched between two questionably smelling businessmen, no sitting opposite someone who has a knack for rubbing you up the wrong way and no clashing holiday dates!

However, working from home can also equal reduced productivity, loneliness, too many hobnobs and in depth knowledge of Loose Women. So in order to help you remain at your most productive, Daily Mail have come up with a list of failsafe tips:

Dress for Success
It’s understandable that after many years of suiting and booting yourself in the morning, all day in your pyjamas seems like the best idea you’ve ever had.

However, its essential you avoid merging home with work and as tempting as it may be to set yourself up in bed in with your laptop and a big mug of tea you can rest assured your positivity will slump.

We are not suggesting you wear a suit and your high heels around the house but try to strike a balance. Setting your alarm, putting your make-up on, sorting your hair out and getting dressed will mark the start of a working day.

Compartmentalise
Clearly separate work from home, this means having a designated working area which you can leave when you finish in the evening. If its a study then great, shut the door as you leave, if its the dining room table then clear all your papers away and shut down your laptop when you’ve finished as this allows you to switch off.

Remember your days are not ‘free’
Make sure you use your diary more than ever, making sure to schedule designated work time. Though it may seem like you can now pop in on your parents or go for a few glasses of wine round a friends this is how you waste time.

Its fine to to do these things now and again if they are planned in advance but overdoing it will only leave you feeling stressed with the pile of work which has built up whilst you’ve been being a social butterfly.

Work like you are in an office
In an office interruptions, tea breaks, gossip and lunch breaks all allow us to regain our concentration (which only lasts for two hours at a time).

This is an occasion where working from home is great as you can leave for a couple of minutes to put the washing out, water the plants, make a coffee etc, all of which are more productive and relaxing then a visit to the water cooler.

Book Holidays
If you are self employed then it can be hard to manage areas such as this. Strike a balance and make sure you are not working too much or too little by drawing up a holiday form. This will allow you to take a break and have a day off when you want to but will also give you something to strive for and look forward to.

Read more