Working From Home Tips

With the availability of Blazing Hog Internet, you can work from home and eliminate the aggravation of the daily commute from your day. With the average American commute time just under 30 minutes, you save as much as an hour or more each day that you work from home. You also lower your stress level and improve your work-life balance.

However, telecommuting carries with it the responsibility to make sure that your work quality and quantity remains as high as when you set foot in the office cubicle. By preparing your workspace, setting daily routines, and communicating regularly with your colleagues, you will set yourself up for success.

Prepare Your Workspace

Designate a distraction-free area of your home for working. Make sure that pets and noisy children will not interrupt you here. You will not appear professional during the Skype meeting with your boss if your toddler can be overheard asking you for milk.

Your desk should have plenty of space to lay out your papers and good lighting. Choose a desk chair that works well for your height and provides adequate back support.

The internet service you choose should support file transfers and video calls. Invest in a good noise-reducing headset.

Check to see how your space appears when you turn on your computer’s camera for video calls. Make sure that your company’s most important client will not see a pile of dirty laundry behind you.

Set Daily Routines

As tempting as it may be to work in your pajamas, you need to approach your job with a professional mindset. Get up and shower each morning, and put on clothes that suit your company’s dress code. Polo shirts and slacks are fine if that fits your company’s culture; however, don’t forget to don a suit when you are meeting with high-stakes external customers.

Set a consistent schedule to start and stop work, along with lunches and breaks. Routines provide the psychological cues that you need to focus on your work and not think about your craft project in the next room.

Many people find it helpful to write a to-do list before quitting time each day. That way, when you step into your home office in the morning, you immediately have some tasks to get you started working. You may find it helpful to ease your transition into the work day with a couple of more routine items.

Communicate Regularly

When you work from home, you miss out on the opportunities for spontaneous socializing around the office water cooler. You will need to work harder to network and get to know your colleagues. Schedule regular chats with your co-workers, and don’t forget to ask them casual questions about their families and hobbies along with discussing the status report.

Companies with large numbers of remote workers will often plan yearly retreats to allow the staff to spend time with each other in person. If your organization does not do this, volunteer to arrange staff retreats. In between retreats, ask for a travel budget that allows you to travel to visit in person with your boss quarterly.

Establish a set of communication tools that your company relies on and make sure that everyone receives training. Free training resources may be found on YouTube. Skype, Google Drive, and Slack all support collaboration among remote workers.

Companies and employees alike benefit from flexible teleworking arrangements. In order to be successful working from home, you need to ensure that you will produce the same work that you would in the office environment. Take the time to plan how you will set up your workspace for productivity. Make sure that your schedule and communications reflect your professionalism. With these considerations in mind, working from home could work well for you.