Working from home presents many benefits. Not only does it give you the freedom to work hours that are suitable for you, but also it means you don’t have to pay for childcare nor do you have to travel to and from the office. However, one thing that is challenging about working from home is that it can be difficult to stay motivated and to work sensible hours. You either end up at the computer too much or not enough. So, how do you strike the right balance?
Get the right level of comfort
Of course, you want to be comfortable while working from home. The problem is that you can end up being too comfortable. While it is very tempting to work from your bed or the comfort of your sofa, you should avoid doing so. You will get too cosy and your work ethic will suffer. Instead, you should emulate the office environment. Make sure you have a good desk and an ergonomic chair. You can create a separate section for your break. For example, in the corner of the room you can have a few magazines and a bean bag. You will be able to see the different styles of bean bags that are available. By having two distinguished sections, you will find it much easier to go from working to being on a break and then back to working again. Just as working from the sofa isn’t advised, having a break or eating your lunch at the computer is not recommended either.
Choose your office colors carefully
It is important to carefully consider the colour palette you are going to have in your office. Colours evoke different emotions, so you need to think about the emotions you want to have while you are working. If you have a creative job, for example, let’s say you are a website designer, then why not use yellow throughout your office? This is a creative and inspiring colour. Alternatively, for something more professional, you can’t go wrong with blue. Some colours should be avoided in large doses. Red is a prime example of this, as it can be an irritating shade, especially when used in large amounts.
Emulate an office environment
Last but not least, there are a number of ways you can emulate an office environment to boost productivity while working from home. For instance, you should consider investing in a whiteboard schedule so that you can plan your work each day. You should also think about having a separate phone line in your office, as well as a filing cabinet for all of your work documents. Dressing professionally can also get you in the right frame of mind every day. A wireless ergonomic keyboard and mouse is a good idea to ensure you can work productively all day long.
Hopefully, you now have some suggestions that can help you to balance home and office working effectively. The key is to be comfortable and happy in your surroundings, but not too comfortable. It can seem a difficult balance to strike, but with the suggestions mentioned in this post you should notice an immediate difference.
