Just a few short years ago, only 8 million people, or 5.2 percent of the American workforce, were working from home. The number was forecast to keep increasing gradually year over year.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic happened.
The crisis has had its toll on lives and the economy, but one of the biggest consequences is that almost everyone is working from home now. To be precise, 66 percent of the workforce is now home-based.
Working from home has its benefits, but it can also be challenging, especially if you’re new to it. Here are working from home tips you can use to stay focused and productive.
Read on for some top working from home tips!
1. Set Up a Workspace
If you’ve suddenly found yourself working from home, you certainly don’t have a dedicated workspace. This means you’re working from the couch, dining or kitchen table, or even right from the comfort of your own bed!
This might seem exciting, a welcome change from the boring office workstation, but it’s not the right thing to do, especially when you want to stay productive.
On the couch, you’ll probably turn on the television after every few minutes. In bed, a snooze every hour isn’t out of your reach. In the kitchen, how many times will you stare at the fridge?
The solution is to set up a dedicated workspace with minimal distractions. You can even get organized with binder dividers if you’re working with limited space.
2. Dress the Part
Well, well. We get it. Everyone does in the WFH world.
You’re working from home, so pajamas and lately, activewear, are the order of the day. Nobody can blame you for wanting to rock your PJs all day long. You certainly don’t want to suffocate yourself in formal clothes.
Here’s the thing, though. Those PJs aren’t good for your productivity. They’ll keep your mind thinking you’re in comfort mode, and you’ll find that you’re taking forever to complete your work tasks.
When you’re working from home, try to dress the part. It’s an effective way to get into the right mood for work.
3. Get a Reliable Internet Connection
In the office, you or your employer invests in a fast internet connection.
At home, you might not care much about the speed of your connection, especially if you’ve always worked from the office. If you’ve subscribed to the cheapest offering from your home internet service provider, you might want to check and ensure the speed is adequate for your work needs.
Slow internet will hurt your productivity. You’ll take longer to log into and access work tools and systems.
Besides the speed of your internet, you also need a reliable service provider. It’s of no use if you have a fast connection that has endless outages. You need a connection you can rely on to get the work done.
Embrace These Working from Home Tips
Whether you’ve always worked from home or this is something new, there’s no doubt you want to improve or at least maintain your productivity. With distractions all over, a lot will depend on your self-discipline. That, coupled with these working from home tips, you’re set for success.
Keep tabs on our blog for more WFH productivity tips and hacks. Working from home should be wonderful, and we have the tips you need to make it worthwhile.
