Working from home?
After years of working in an office, I can't say I'm desperate to get back to that any time soon as I'm currently LOVING working from home. My old employer had a great health & safety team though, real sticklers for good posture, a healthy work environment and most of all having good quality functional furniture at work, that would do the job in terms of giving us the space required, but also being supportive for us to work at without any aches and pains. I was lucky to pick up some great tips which I can now put to good use in my own micro office at home.
Since working from home, my biggest downfall has to be the fact that I'm always stooped over a laptop on the sofa, always suffering from a sore back and over doing the time I spend sat in bad positions - the H&S guy would have nightmares.
I've been looking at putting a home office together here and reserving a small space where I can sit at for shorter amounts of time, get organised and hopefully work better with less distractions and more comfort. Here are my top tips for successful working from home;
Invest in good furniture
Having the right furniture is key to a good home office. A comfortable chair that encourages good posture, combined with a desk of a good height make the perfect match for a more focused working environment. Your own small space away from the rest of the home/toys/TV will make you concentrate more on what you are trying to achieve, and hopefully have a big impact on your working life. Suffering from a bad back, I know only too well how much the right furniture can impact working and this is the most important factor for me in planning a home office.
Keep organised
It's so easy to let paperwork and clutter pile up, but the tidier and more organised you can keep your work space, the clearer your head will feel too. This will allow you to focus better on the job in hand. Decent storage and files both physically and digitally really pay off, keeping all areas clutter free with less distractions.
Keep work & life separate
This is a real tough one for working from home, but if you can keep the two separate as much as possible it will allow you to focus better. Sat on the sofa with a laptop I'm constantly distracted by the TV, the clutter in the living room, the pets, traffic outside, the list goes on. There is far too much going on right now, so my new work space needs to be free from the kids toys with an area reserved for work only.
Invest in good lighting
Good lighting makes a huge difference to working well. Something like a daylight lamp could work really well if you work in the evenings or are working in an area with limited natural light.
Make plans
Plan your time when working from home. It's so easy to flit from one thing to another, especially as a blogger when social media plays a part and it is SO distracting! Making rough plans makes the workload feel more manageable and also keeps you on track as your own boss.
Do you have any more tips for a successful work life from home?
This is a collaborative post.
