10 tips for working from home

Working from home has gained in popularity tremendously over the last few years. With E-mail, instant messaging, texting, cell phones and all the portable devices that make them accessible every minute of your day, more and more people are able to work outside of the office, spend more time with their families and less time commuting. However, with this newfound system of convenience comes a much greater need for self-discipline. Here’s a brief list of some things to remember while working from home:

1. Keep your workspace separate from your living space and have a physical door or barrier (if possible).
2. Ensure communication devices are sanctioned off appropriately. (e.g. Have a separate line for business calls.)
3. Set up your workspace from the get-go with everything you need: adequate storage, shelving, ensure all technical devices are set up and networked correctly, etc.
4. Don’t feel guilty about working from home. Point out to sceptics that successive surveys show that homeworkers are more efficient and productive than office workers.
5. Don’t take personal calls, do housework, garden, etc. during work hours.
6. Stay organized! Keep "To Do" lists, updated calendars, etc.
7. Always make sure to back up your work on an external hard drive or other device!
8. Keep all of your technical devices functioning properly! Maintain updates, device storage space, good equipment, cleaned out hard drive, etc.
9. Don’t overwork! Once the business day is over, let it be done. Resist the temptation to check your E-mail, answer your business line after hours, etc.
10. The bottomline: remain productive, yet active. Don’t be afraid to leave your workspace, stretch and walk around, but make sure you complete everything you need to get done.

For more dos and don’ts for home workers, visit saga’s article here.

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Photo credit: Daniel Gilbey