When I tell people that I work from home, most of them find it hard to understand how I get anything done. When someone tells me they work in an office, I think exactly the same thing.
I’ve done my time working in offices and I find them incredibly distracting environments, which has only been amplified since I’ve worked from home. In one of my previous jobs, I spent nearly four years working from home and leaving that job to go back to an office was a huge challenge.
People come over to ask questions all the time, there are tea rounds every half hour (which is great in some ways) and there’s constant noise from people talking, phone calls, keys tapping and just other people moving around the office.
As far as I’m concerned, there are literally distractions everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, I see the value in sharing a space with your team and at times I miss the lively atmosphere in an office. But when I actually need to get work done I’d rather be at home, in my own space.
That’s tip number one - make a space for work. If you’re lucky enough to have room for a home office, that’s brilliant. I’m not, so I have a corner in my living room where my desk and all my work paraphernalia lives. When I start work, I sit down at my desk. I try really hard not to move my laptop to other spots too often.
Tip number two is to set working hours. When you work from home it can be really easy to think you’ll just do one more thing before you finish, and before you realise it, it’s 9pm. I’m not too strict with myself about working 9-5 every day, but first thing in the morning I think about what work I have to get done and I set myself a start and finish time for that day.
My third tip is to take regular breaks, but to use them wisely. One thing I often hear is that people get distracted by household chores when they work from home. I’ve found that doing things like the washing up while I’m waiting for the kettle to boil helps me make the most of my time.
So, a tea break becomes so much more useful. I can put a load of washing in, clean part of the kitchen or even write my shopping list.
As an add-on to that, you should also make sure you take a lunch break. Give yourself an hour away from work-related stuff. I walk Franklin, which means I get out of the house and get some fresh air too.
Tip number four is don’t turn the TV on. It’s so tempting to think you’ll work with the TV in the background, but you will get distracted (trust me, I’ve tried). Music is a much better option. Personally, I find listening to albums I know really well is great when I want to concentrate. I’ve also got some good playlists on Spotify - their music for concentration and reading playlists are ace.
My final tip is to make a to-do list each day. I used to do this when I worked in an office too, so it’s far from just a tool for homeworkers. I find it helps focus me on what I need to do. Usually I’ve got an ‘absolutely must get done today’ list, then a ‘great if I can fit it in’ list.
For me, being efficient when I’m working from home is all about focus. When I first started doing it I found it hard at times too. But work through that - it’s definitely worth it to be able to enjoy all the benefits working from home brings. Just think of the time you’ll save because you’re not commuting, the little jobs you can do on your tea breaks, and the fact that you’ll always be in for parcel deliveries. And yes, you can work in your pajamas (although I wouldn’t recommend doing this all the time).
