Remote work has taken off in recent years. As of 2020, nearly 45% of people worked from home at least some of the time, and studies show working from home, and the desire to work from home trend is only going to continue in the near future. 
Most of us love the idea of working at home. You don’t have to worry about noisy co-workers; you can lounge in casual clothes; you can trade your uncomfortable desk chair for the couch. But, the situation does have its challenges. One of the biggest, for example, is the home distractions. Are your kids running around in the background? Are you distracted by the messy house? Maybe you’re having trouble concentrating because you’re too relaxed?
All these things can take your attention away from your daily tasks and make your work performance suffer. But don’t fear. There are ways to make working from home as efficient and distraction-free as possible.
Here are six ways to have a great day of work from home:
1. Ditch the PJs! It can be so easy to roll out of bed and log on to the computer, all while keeping the slippers and the fuzzy pajama pants. After all, why do your hair or dress up if no one will see you? While sleepwear might be more comfortable, getting yourself ready for the day will help you feel professional. The simple act of an outfit change can change your mindset and switch you into work mode. Try having a simple morning routine before work. Make your bed, have a nutritious breakfast, and wear at least business casual attire. Plus, you won’t have to scramble to look put together if you have that surprise Zoom meeting with your boss.
2. Schedule your time. It’s so easy to get caught up in your daily tasks that work can get pushed aside. How often have you grabbed another cup of coffee or gone to grab the mail quickly? Sometimes it can be easy to give in to these side tasks, and we’ve wasted a lot of time before we know it. Some remote workplaces also have more flexible hours, so it can be easy to push off work and focus on home tasks until you’ve wasted too much of the day. Instead, schedule your time so that you can fit in housework and family time but get your work done, too. So, if your work is from 9-5, make sure you keep other tasks away until after 5 pm. Set boundaries and stick to them.
3. Resist the temptation to multitask. Along the lines of creating a schedule, try to reduce distractions that will slow your progress and work in intervals that can help you truly focus. While working with the TV on is tempting, it won’t help you get your work done. We are not designed to effectively multitask as human beings, even though most of us try. Studies show that you’ll get more done — and do a much better job — if you’re focusing on one task at a time.
4. Get help with the kids. Watching children, especially babies and toddlers can make it extremely difficult to give your work the focus and attention it deserves. Even teenagers can be distracting! If getting help with child care isn’t possible, try getting up earlier than they do or, if you have a baby or toddler, carving out some time to focus during nap time.
5. Take advantage of your free time. One of the best things about working at home is having more time for things other than work. Without a commute and other activities involved in going to an office, you should have more time to get other things done. Make sure some of that time is spent doing something you enjoy.
6. Create a comfortable workspace. Even if you work from the kitchen table, set it up in such a way that will help you be efficient and help you feel like you can get the job done. Keep what you need to work close. Then you won’t have to go searching all over the house, possibly getting distracted. We can help by making your work area look and smell great. Check out our lineup of incredible products and fragrances: https://getmojilife.com/
