Working from home comes with a unique set of hurdles. We’re here to help you cut through distractions, focus on productivity and get your best work done. Here are are 4 hand-picked home office “hacks” that you can start doing today.
1. Set Up All The Necessary Tools Required For Your Work
Make sure you set up all the necessary tools required for your work even before beginning. Does your boss need you to have Zoom installed? Does he/she insist you have Slack installed on your computer? Or he/she prefers to use Skype? Ensure that you have all the necessary tools for effective communication and job delivery. Since you will be relying on the internet very much, make some efforts to have a stable internet connection to avoid network delays. If you will be doing video interactions quite often, you might want to consider investing in a good camera or have a smartphone with a good camera.
2. Set Boundaries
Imagine you are on a video call with your boss and your husband/wife passes in front of the camera half-dressed, asking you where you put the key? I guess you don’t want that happening to you. To avoid this, have clear boundaries set in terms of other family members knowing that your work area should be respected, and they should understand that working hours are specifically that-working hours! The kids might be the most difficult to handle as they can mess up everything quite easily. You can make use of another adult to take care of them while you are working just the same way you would do if you had to go to the office.
3. Dress Like You Are Going To Work
It might sound so crazy, but trust me, it’s essential -especially if you will be using video calls. You don’t want to appear in the camera with your vest on and your pants. Apart from looking professional, it also helps you psychologically for your mind to switch to work mode. You don’t necessarily have to wear expensive suits you wear to work but just try to look professional when going to your working desk.
4. Be Your Own Janitor
In the office, probably you are used to having a janitor clean up after you, but at home, you are responsible for keeping your office organized and handling the office trash. Try to keep your desk as much organized as possible. Another important thing is to make sure that you carefully dispose of company documents. You don’t want vital information such as login details or emails falling into the wrong hands. Different companies issue various directions on how key documents should be disposed Even when at home, please ensure you follow the guidelines.
Working from home can be burdensome or liberating. Use these hacks as stepping stools to get started on your path to loving your home office.
