Your Job Looks Different When You Work from Home.

As life has changed, many people have been forced into a work-from-home scenario that they weren’t previously equipped for. If you are working from home, consider incorporating some basic guidelines for your new work environment.

Turning these suggestions into action can help you stay productive and can keep you energetic and less distracted by the life around you.

 Get Dressed

Begin each day by getting ready to go to work. Rolling out of bed and going straight into work, though comfy and probably tempting, can seriously hinder your productivity. It stops your mind from being fully present in a project. Having the mindset that you are getting prepared to do something different helps put you into work mode. So set your alarm, get dressed for the day, and eat a breakfast. Have a morning routine (even if it’s a walk across the living room) and actually start your work day just like you would if you had to leave the house.

Go to Your Office

When working from home remember to designate a specific space that is your “work” space. If you have children and/or a spouse there while you are working from home, you know how difficult it can be to shut out normal life distractions. Creating a designated space that people will see and know to not disturb you helps limit some of the interruptions. It may not always keep the distractions out, but it can greatly reduce their frequency.

Take time to explain what this space means and be as vigilant about it as you want others to be. This space can be a place at the table during certain hours or a small space in the basement. You may actually have an at-home office. Wherever the space is, keep it professional.

Keep Work at Work

Lastly, do not let your whole house become the office. Coming back into personal space needs to feel like you are coming home. Keeping your work life out of your personal life when working from home can feel impossible at times. But don’t allow yourself to use the whole house. Choose two spaces you can break up your time between and tell yourself that the other spaces are off limits to your work day. Act as if you are not at home and that you don’t have access to the parts of the house where you sleep, eat, minus lunch, snack breaks, and rest. This will help you feel a difference when your day is over.

So while you are working from home, set spatial boundaries, create a specific space to work, and keep your personal space separate.

If you don’t have workspace furniture set up, consider finding some “instant office” solutions like you’ll find here. They have an “office-in-a-box” solution that has a desk, chair, and file cabinet combination.