5 Tips for Working Productively from Home

In today’s professional environment, many workers have the opportunity to work from home. While this does seem like a dream for many (and it actually can be a great idea for lot of people), it is also an exercise in professionalism. While working from home does offer many amenities that we often miss in the workplace, it also provides a unique set of challenges as well.

Here are 5 tips for working productively from home:

1. Set working hours. If you set working hours and commit yourself to them, you will get more done throughout these hours and it will aid in keeping yourself on task. Don’t forget that these hours don’t necessarily have to be 9am to 5pm either; if you’re a “night owl” it’s OK to work at night too.
2. Define, organize, and optimize your workspace. If you’re lucky enough to have a home office then you’ve pretty much got this one done already, but if you don’t don’t worry. Make your workspace comfortable, and treat it as you would at a regular office.
3. Make to-do lists. Don’t be afraid to make these lists daily. They will help you to stay on task and avoid procrastination.
4. Take a break. Don’t feel guilty if you need to step away from your work for a few minutes and relax. You’ve afforded yourself the opportunity of working from home, so don’t burn yourself out. It’s OK to tune our and relax for a few minutes.
5. Set boundaries with family and friends. Make it clear to family and friends that when you’re working you don’t want to be disturbed. Interruptions should only be for urgent matters.

Working from home can either be a blessing or a curse for you career, so you should take measures to make it work if you have such an opportunity. While these tips can certainly be helpful, don’t forget that there is no substitute for hard work!

How to Make Working From Home More Productive

For many the thought of working from home is an absolute dream. Sitting in your favorite chair in your pajamas after your zer0-minute commute really doesn’t sound so bad. Working in an office is great, but seriously, wouldn’t it be cool to just work from home?

If you answered “yes” to that question, then you should be conscious of some pitfalls that arise through working from home, especially if you have a family. Here are six tips on how to achieve a healthy work-life balance when working from home:

1. Maintain regular office hours – This is extremely important when striving for a healthy balance between your work and personal lives. Establish hours when you will work and stick to them. It’s easy to log onto your work computer after dinner for a few minutes (and get roped in for hours), but if it’s past your work hours, don’t do it.
2. Establish a privacy system – This hint is important for those with families. Establish a “do not disturb” system, like a closed door or a door knob sign, so your family knows that you’re busy. Also, it could be helpful to have your family write questions that they have throughout the day on paper and hand them to you, which can be less disruptive than oral inquiries.
3. Lay some ground rules – Again, this is important for those with families as well. Make a list of activities that aren’t allowed during work hours, like your child’s clarinet practice, or your partner’s vacuuming. Conversely, make another list of activities that disallowed during family hours. For example, checking your work email, or answering your work phone.
4. Get an early start – Sure, it sounds great to wake up at 10 am and have a leisurely breakfast before reading the newspaper. However, you should avoid doing so. Wake up as you normally would and be most productive in the morning. At that point, you will have a lightened work load in the afternoon and you can slow down then.
5. Stay on task – For some, working from home is an exercise in staying on task. When you’re at home it’s easy to get distracted, so focus on two or three core tasks, as opposed to more numerous, smaller tasks, which will keep your productivity high throughout the day. Avoid becoming sidetracked and spending hours on Youtube or Wikipedia (the “random article” button has a mysterious, anti-productivity allure about it).
6. Protect your work with passwords – Another tip for those with families; keep your work password protected, especially if you’re doing work on a shared computer. The last thing you want is your children rearranging your spreadsheets after they have mistaken it for their homework.

Working from home can be a great experience, especially when you enjoy the company of your family. However, guidelines can aid in making your experience both a healthy and productive one, which will allow you to grow personally and professionally.

Four Tips to Make Your Home Office More Productive

Working from home isn’t for everyone. From a productivity standpoint, it can either be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Working at home requires personal discipline and a strict schedule to keep yourself on task. While working from home may not be for everyone, here are four tips to help you be more productive when working from home:

1. Have a network based printer/scanner/copier/fax machine – These four-in-one devices are great for those who are working from home. Not only do these devices use less physical space, but they allow users print and copy documents, and digitize items for electronic records. For the rare cases when you might actually need a fax machine, you’re in luck too.
2. Invest in an active offsite PC backup tool – A product like Carbonite is great because it automatically backs up your computer, so you don’t have to worry about doing so. Many of such products are cloud-based, meaning you are able to access your files when you are away from your home computer. These programs can even be a lifesaver in the rare event that you actually forget a file while traveling; you can still access it.
3. High speed internet connectivity – This tip is simple: the less time you waste waiting for files to load, the more time you can devote to your work.
4. Make your workspace comfortable – When you feel better, you work better. We cannot emphasize the importance of a well-designed workspace enough; don’t be afraid to design your workspace to your specifications. After all, you are indeed in your home.

Hopefully these tips are useful, and if you can think of some yourself don’t be afraid to pass them along. If they are good enough we will showcase them on our blog as well!

Olivier Desrochers: Méo Shelf

The Méo Shelf is a piece by Montreal-based designer Olivier Desrochers. This modular system uses solid oak planks which are connected together with brightly colored steel supports, each of which sit at an angle.

You would certainly be correct in pointing out that this shelving system bears a strong resemblance to scaffolding with its multi-level surfaces and vertical supports. This simple piece provides definite visual appeal, with its angular supports. You can even customize your piece with the ability to choose the color of the supports. The Méo Shelf would look good in the home or even in the office.