Ask almost anyone who has to commute to work on a busy train or bus, only to be surrounded by others all day, and they’ll tell you that they would love to work from home. Those who are fortunate to work from home usually find space for a desk in their bedroom, turn their spare room into their work space or even use a mobile office as their workspace.
As ideal as working from home may sound, there are 3 common mistakes that people make almost every time they get to work. These mistakes are:
Becoming Distracted By Social Media
These days no-one can turn on a computer, or look at their cell phone without being tempted to update their social media status, or see what their friends are doing. However, anyone who works from home will tell you how distracting these websites and apps can be.
The trouble with social media sites is they have the potential to keep users distracted for 10-20 minutes each time, meaning less work will get done. The answer to this problem? Stay off all social media sites until your working day is done!
Not Getting Dressed
If you already work from home, you may be forgiven for thinking that you can sit in your pajamas all day, while working on that new project, designing a brand new game, or writing that next best seller. However, if you want to feel like you’re at work, and you want to take your work seriously, you need to dress for the occasion.
You don’t have to wear a smart suit (Unless you really want to), or uncomfortable footwear, you just need to make an effort, as doing so will give you a different outlook on your working day.
Not Leaving Work Behind At The End Of The Day
If you worked in an office, a store, or anywhere that wasn’t your home, you would leave at the end of your shift. Those who work from home frequently fail to leave work behind at the end of the day. This is likely to be because they have access to work-related emails, and updates, even when they’re laid on the sofa watching evening TV.
Mobile phones, tablets, and other devices make accessing and receiving notifications about work emails very easy, and it’s usually all too tempting to read, and answer them. Try to set boundaries, turn your computer off at the end of your working day, and if you are contacted, make sure those communicating with you are aware of your working hours, so they know to expect a reply the next morning.
Working from home can potentially be a great way to earn a living. However, if you want to make the most of working from the desk in your spare room, you will need to think carefully about where you work, and how much you do. Productivity is crucial in all jobs, especially when you work from home. Stay off social media, get dressed, and turn your PC off at the end of the day, you’ll feel much better for it.
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