4 tips for staying productive when working from home
By Andrew Stuart
The modern workplace is a world away from what we've seen in the past. In Australia, as much as half the working population take the opportunity to do so from home, according to Smart Company. That's 5.6 million of us, the 2013 research shows – no doubt a substantial number if most people don't know how to work from home effectively.
When it comes to trainers, the rise of e-learning and other digital resources means there are now a growing number of training industry jobs that involve full-time, out-of-office working. In these instances, it's absolutely integral to learn how to work from home – and learn quickly.
Here are four tips to help you better acclimatise to the remote environment:
1) Make the most of the extra time
Without having to commute to the office, you can save hours in each working day. One of the advantages here is that, with the right use of this extra time, you can increase your free time quite substantially.
If you usually set off for work at 8 o'clock, for instance, to get into the office for 9, why not start at the earlier time? You could also use some of this spare hour to prepare, so you can start work as soon as possible – and, ideally, finish sooner, too.
2) Be comfortable
Without the need to wear formal clothes and sit in an uncomfortable office chair, you can find your lifestyle is significantly more relaxed – which is a good and bad thing. Establish a place where you can work in complete comfort, though make sure the subdued nature doesn't impact your work. If you feel it might, try moving to different areas of the home and testing your own productivity.
If distractions are a problem, having a secluded space to work away from everything is an important advantage.
3) Communicate!
Without a boss looking over your shoulder, you may feel more liberated from management, although you're also likely to rely on digital communication more heavily – instant messaging, phone calls and video conferencing.
Find an easy way to equip these tools so constant communication doesn't slow you down, such as using a headset so you can keep working while on a call.
Meanwhile, maintaining an office relationship with your peers could help balance some of the more solitary aspects of working from home. According to research by McCrindle of 250 work-from-home employees, 58 per cent said they craved more social interaction and personal communication, so staying in touch is a good two-way street for you and your boss.
4) Mix it up
Once you find a system that works, you won't want it to get stale. Why not work in your garden every now and again, or in a coffee shop to keep your environment fresh?
With internet-connected devices more prolific than ever, and cloud storage platforms flooding the market, it's easier to be a mobile worker, not just one that's stuck at home.
