Even in this modern age, working from home is considered a luxury by many. That’s because people think that work can only be done in a “real” office environment. Well, in this day and age we know that’s simply not true. There are dozens of people managing all their office work sitting comfortably at home. Thanks to the age of the internet, we have a tonne of opportunities to avail just from our homes.
Still, not everything is cozy, fine and magical. Working from home has its obvious benefits but there are a few drawbacks as well. Sometimes you can get too comfortable in order to get some actual work done. This can lead to a drop in productivity at times.
Suddenly, working in a home office environment doesn’t seem all that amazing when you have a tonne of pending work piled up. It doesn’t help when your “home office” doesn’t really have the proper equipment an actual office would have.
Over time, a lot of people face trouble in getting proper work done from home. We’ll give you 4 tips to improve the quality of workflow in a home office environment. Read on for a boost in productivity.
1. Set Up The Proper Environment
Working from home has its definite advantages. Still, a lot of people think that it’s as simple as grabbing your laptop, kicking back on the couch and “working” with a movie playing in the background. This does absolutely nothing for your workflow. What it really does is lessen your productivity and even creativity. Distraction arrives sooner than you think when you’re in the comforts of your home. So the right environment is important.
First off, find a clean and quiet place to work. It’s not the best idea to work in a loud and cluttered place. A messy place will leave you distracted and unfocused. A clean and organized desk will go a long mile. A quiet environment is also helpful. We’re not telling you to completely isolate yourself, but some peace and quiet will definitely leave you more focused.
Proper lighting is another important aspect many people look over. A dull room with little to no light can leave you with a headache and you won’t be productive for much longer. Your screen shouldn’t be your only source of light. Get a lamp for your desk or try to get some natural light in through windows.
2. The Right Equipment
Beginners who are new to working from home think they can get work done just from their old laptop and a meager amount of tools (or lack thereof). That is definitely not the case. Once, you’ve got the ambiance all good and ready to go, the next step is getting the right gear.
The things you need will obviously depend on your job criteria. If you deal with a lot of paperwork, stock up on files, folder, envelopes, and organizers. Get a planner to help you organize all your workload. Running out in the middle of an important project just to get a pen really messes with your state of focus.
If you find yourself constantly running to an internet cafe or someplace similar, just to print something, it’s time to invest in a good printer. Honestly, it will go a long way when you can get access to all your paperwork in an instant. We recommend going with a great laser printer. It’s a one-time investment and you’ll thank yourself later. Can’t decide on one?
3. Get Some Air
The world of numbers and digits can tune you out from the real world. Personally, we can agree with this one on our own part as well. In a job which requires extensive research and writing, creativity is key. Creativity goes to dust when you’re sitting at the same place for hours on end. A breath of fresh air is an easy fix for this.
Do you find yourself crunching numbers the whole day? We’ve seen people go absolutely frantic in such a place. A good 10-15 minute break should fix that for sure. If pausing or taking a break is absolutely out of the question, a change of scenery is recommended. If possible, take your work outside like in a balcony or at a coffee shop for a bit.
Music is also helpful depending on the person. Obviously, we are not trying to go full blown crazy with our favorite songs. But consider playing some soft music in the background to help you relax a bit. Some people find this really helps while others haven’t noticed a real difference. It’s about personal preference.
4. A Good Connection
Last but definitely not least, get a proper internet connection. Working from home, we’d imagine you have to stay in contact with colleagues or managers a lot. Even if that’s not the case, browsing through e-mails, researching on the internet and saving files in the cloud all require good internet.
We’ve lost count of the number of times a bad internet connection has messed up our routine. Frustration and stress from a bad internet connection is a huge interference when you’re trying to focus. So before you get fed up and throw your computer out of the window, try to get access to the internet with a stable connection and good speeds.