Today I feature Mariana Ashley, who will be guest posting on managing work at home productivity.
One of the most essential components of success is productivity. Productivity is all about being in an environment that encourages concentration and focus. It is nearly impossible to work in a space that is full of distractions. While the concept of a productive work environment is fairly obvious, it can be a particularly challenging task for individuals who make their living working from home. Follow these three tips to creating a motivating working environment at home and your productivity will soar.
Separate Work Life From Domestic life
The first step to creating a work environment that condones productivity is finding a way to separate your work life from your domestic life. This can be a very difficult task. The first step is designating a specific space to act as your home office. This room will be a space that you use for only work. It is important to create both mental and physical boundaries when working from home. You should not allow your work tasks to bleed into your domestic areas. Do not do work from a laptop while sitting in front of the television, at the kitchen table, or in bed. While this may sound strict, it is important for your mind and body to establish a space for relaxation and a space for work.
Create A Conducive Work Space
Next, you must create a space that suits the type of work you are performing and is comfortable for you. If you will be doing most of your work at a computer, get a good desk chair, keyboard, and computer screen. Making your desk area comfortable is essential to staying motivated and, therefore, to keeping up productivity. Making a space comfortable also includes having a space that is visually comfortable. Make sure that the space is lit well and that the decorations are stimulating without being distracting. The light in your work space should include as much natural light as possible and should be soft. Also, having very busy pictures or a cluttered looking space may detract from your ability to work.
Don’t Forget To Organize Your Computer
Lastly, another essential environment to consider when you are working from home is your computer’s environment. Most individuals working from home do so through the use of the internet and their computers. This means that their computer’s ecosystem plays a huge role in their ability to work effectively and efficiently. Try to keep your computer organized. Make folders that make sense and are easily navigable. Use dates and logical names for files. Also, be sure to update your system and doctor your computer every now and then. A slow computer can really hinder a person’s ability to work to the best of their ability.
These three tips are simple strategies for creating the most productive at-home work environment possible. Today’s society is all about speed and output. While this can be immensely stressful, it can also be exhilarating. Having a work environment that supports these needs is essential for success.
Want to know more about managing your workspace?
Find out here about decluttering your workspace
By-line:
Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.
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Twitter: stevescott1
May 3, 2011 at 10:57 pm
Thanks Mariana,
You make a great point, decluttering can really jump-start productivity. I found that I was more productive (with limited time) when i was traveling. All I had was a tiny laptop, notepad and pen and i got more done faster than i did before or after, when I have a whole command center. Things are great…but they are also distractions.
Steve@Internet Lifestyle recently posted..Information Overload YOUR Blueprint for Turning Information into Action
it’s really hard to separate the work/domestic life when you work at home but i find have a dedicated business space works, and switching off the computer out of hours. only trouble is when i receive emails on my phone, lol… maybe i should disabled that too!
Hello, this is the first time I am here. I saw your link at Alex’s page and I decided to check out your post. I am glad to see that you are supporting other people’s work. We can’t see that every day.
I didn’t thought that organizing work space is so important, but now I realize that actually is. Thanks for sharing this article.
Daca recently posted..Its time for gym
Hi Daca,
Welcome and Thanks for stopping by! I’m glad my link has caught your attention
Well, I can’t really remember if i posted something on alex’s blog but i think it must have been a while ago. Anyway, Alex has a great blog there and I’ve always been a regular visitor there.
This is a great reminder for me, most of the time we neglect to clear of things that
distract our working area…thanks for sharing.
Hey Grant,
I think productivity has got a lot to do with how your organize yourself as well as how your workspace looks like. I prefer it neat and uncluttered, but i wouldn’t say I’m a neat freak. I hope this article is of use to you.
Cheers!
I’m guilty of not having a separate space for work at my home. I normally use my laptop for work and most of the time, I spend my working hours in front of the tv or on my bed. I never thought that its a bad idea, not until I found myself spending most of my work hours watching tv shows or lying in bed, rather than working. This is really a great article. An eye opener for me. I will definitely follow this and hope that my work at home job routine improves.