If you’ve always wanted to change your work life, you’ll eventually encounter the home office option. On one hand, this offers a great deal of comfort and independence – on the other hand, however, it also presents a variety of challenges. The biggest problem when working from home is often the risk of distraction. These 10 tips help you work productively from home!
Tips for choosing the right work environment
The first step towards optimal productivity is choosing the right work environment. At first glance, there seem to be many suitable places for a desk, but that’s not the case. Quite the opposite – it takes a lot of planning and consideration to find the ideal workplace. Question number 1 you should ask yourself: Is my office separate from the rest of the apartment?
The answer to this is crucial when it comes to typical home office problems. Because if the work area is not a separate space, multiple distractions threaten at the expense of concentration. Even if the coffee table seems quite comfortable, the risk of getting sidetracked is particularly high here. If the cat comes by for petting, the kids want to ask a quick question or two, and the laundry stand tempts you with a short break, then this place is the wrong one to work.
The following tips help with choosing the ideal workplace in your own four walls:
Tip #1: a separate room with a closed door not only dampens unwanted noise levels, but also signals a clear separation from your private life. So it’s clear to everyone: you’re working now!
Tip #2: as few non-office items as possible. Too much decoration lets the leisure feeling dominate and also invites distractions. Comfort is not necessarily wrong in itself, but it conveys the wrong feeling. You should not choose an overcrowded room where private furniture is difficult to rearrange.
Tip #3: you should also think about how you can use your office for a break. Instead of hanging around in the kitchen or elsewhere, you can use the office space for that instead. Another idea is to set up a kind of ideas corner – this allows for a change of perspective without bothersome distractions.
Tips for setting up your home office
Once a room has been chosen, it’s time for appropriate spatial and technical equipment. The office may need to be optimized. These tips help:
Tip #4: does the work environment also meet the necessary requirements for good lighting? With plenty of daylight, you can work efficiently, but artificial light also works well as long as it’s indirect. Spotlights are rather disadvantageous because they cast shadows. You should also never have direct light on the monitor or sit with your back to the light.
Tip #5: a good chair, for the sake of your back! Since other offices also have ergonomically adjustable chairs, you shouldn’t skip this standard at home either. To prevent back pain, a good chair is essential. These days, there are even standing desks that don’t require a chair. That’s also an alternative.
Tip #6: of course, technical equipment is also essential. Fast internet is your first ticket to success. But you should also have a sufficiently large monitor, a comfortable keyboard, and a quality mouse with a soft pad. In case of a lot of external communication, a headset is indispensable.
Tips for a productive work mindset
Room and equipment are sorted, now it comes down to personal attitude! For the right mindset, here are a few good tips:
Tip #7: office clothing. Here too, the old saying applies: work attire creates work morale! Pajamas may be comfortable, but they’re definitely not intended for work. It’s best to dress as if you were actually going to the office.
Tip #8: use your breaks to rest. If you master this aspect, you’ve already fulfilled a large part of the home office criteria. Recognizing the difference between good and bad breaks contributes enormously to productivity. By the way, surfing the internet doesn’t count here! Eating lunch next to the monitor doesn’t help either. Good alternatives are getting up, stretching, or a tea break (without your phone).
Tip #9: manage your time consistently. This is sometimes one of the most difficult tasks. Because getting up early, even though you can technically set your own time, is actually hard to manage. But the same time isn’t right for every remote worker! Everyone has their own personal peak hours that they can use effectively.
Tip #10: plan your daily routine. So it doesn’t matter when you’re most productive. The main thing is to recognize these times and incorporate them into a fixed daily rhythm – that’s what effectiveness lives on! By the way, this also applies to the end of the workday: when it’s over, it’s over. Fixed times help best.
Conclusion
Home office can certainly be a very productive and attractive alternative to the conventional office. However, you only achieve this effectiveness if all the important factors work together: the room, the equipment, and your own work ethic must harmonize optimally. Then nothing stands in the way of the long-awaited spatial independence!
About the author Mag. (FH) Stefan Gassner:
Stefan Gassner is the successful head of the real estate agency SAGE Immobilien in Zell am See, Austria. With his experience and market knowledge, he is regarded by customers as extremely reliable and competent. These factors are partly responsible for the company being awarded “Austria’s Best Real Estate Agent” three times at the European Property Awards.