Tips for Working at Home

Success when working at home can be a challenge for many people and the challenge is often about time management and getting a balance. There is the constant temptation to sleep longer in the morning, run errands during the day, or get engrossed in watching your favorite TV program. Then there is also the challenge to keep the boundaries between home life and work life separate.

However, for many people, working from home is a dream come true. It gives a person back a relative amount of freedom to plan their day and feel more relaxed. There can be more time available for children and the opportunity to plan your working day so that you can attend school events, and it can make life easier as a carer. There are also more hours in the day because there is no daily commute to the office.

How can you make a success of working at home? Read on to find out how you can enjoy your dream job without ever leaving the comfort of your home.

1. Have a Good Routine

First and foremost, you need a good routine for your workday. This involves starting and finishing work at a set time every day. It is also important to take a set lunch break to relax and 'recharge your batteries.' However, you do not need to be too strict.

Because working from home gives you more flexibility, you can take a few more breaks during the day than would be possible if you worked in an office.

A good routine with the proper amount of breaks while working at home will make your day much more enjoyable and productive.

2. Dress for Work

Dressing for work doesn't mean putting on a suit, a shirt, and tie or a suit dress if you are a woman. It also doesn't mean working in your pajamas and dressing gown.

So, in the morning you should shower and get dressed as if you were going to the office. In fact, dressing for work affects the way that you deal and speak with people when you call them. Even though they can't see you, if you are dressed for work you will assert yourself more professionally.

3. Have a Work Environment

To make a success of working at home, it is important that you have a proper work environment. If possible, you should have an office space at home that is reserved only for your work. Some people have made space in a converted garage, a spare room, or dedicated a corner of a quiet room for their workspace. This can help you 'leave' work when you finish your day.

4. Don't Mix Work with Home Duties

It can be too easy to get distracted if you are working at home. It is very easy to start doing simple jobs around the home when you should be working. Even something as simple as answering the doorbell can make you lose your focus. If you must run errands, try to do these before or after your workday or during your lunch break.

However, it is important to be balanced with these duties and not go to the other extreme and become so inflexible that the rest of your family wished that you worked in an office!

Try to divide your day between your working time and time for doing chores, don’t fall into the habit of trying to do both at once.

5. Use the Latest Technology

One of the reasons that working at home as become so popular is because of advancements in technology. It is now easier and cheaper to connect with your boss and colleagues remotely. In fact, this has helped many people expand their business because they can now have clients all over the world. For example, you can take advantage of cloud computing by keeping your work documents online.

This makes it much easier to share documents and collaborate with others on them. Skype and Google+ Hangouts have made video conferencing available for everyone. These also allow screen sharing and whiteboards so that you can brainstorm new ideas. This helps you stay in touch with your co-workers and be more productive.

However, don't forget, that if you work as part of a team, it is still good to have a monthly in-person meeting because this can be more productive than doing everything remotely.