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the home hotdesk

How to work from home: Anna’s top 20 tips for newbies

Get started early Choose a dedicated work space for them. Use slower points of the
When working in an office, your Just because you’re not working day to knock out the easier, logistical
1 morning commute can help you 4 at an office doesn’t mean you tasks that are also on your plate. Verily
wake up and feel ready to work by can’t, well, have an office. Rather than magazine calls these tasks ‘small acts of
the time you get to your desk. At cooping yourself up in your room or on success’ and they can help build your
home, however, the transition from the couch – spaces that are associated momentum for the heavier projects that
your pillow to your computer can with leisure time – dedicate a specific are waiting for you later on.
be much more jarring. Believe it or room or surface in your home to work.
not, one way to work from home It doesn’t need to be big, just there. Plan your calls for the morning
productively is to dive into your to-do Sometimes, I’m so tired in the
list as soon as you wake up. Simply Make it harder for yourself to mess 9 afternoon, I don’t even want to hear
getting a project started first thing in around on social media my own voice – let alone talk to others
the morning can be the key to making 6 Social media is designed to with it. If you’re struggling to come up
progress on it gradually throughout the make it easy for you to open and with a reasonable work schedule for
day. Otherwise, you’ll prolong breakfast browse quickly. At work, though, this yourself when working at home, start
and let the morning sluggishness wear convenience can be to the detriment of with the ‘social’ tasks in the morning, like
away your motivation. your productivity. To counteract your phone calls, Skype meetings, and other
social networks’ ease of use during collaborative work. Save the solitary tasks
Pretend like you are going work hours, remove them from your like emails, report writing and research
into the office browser shortcuts and log for when your vibe is lower.
2 The mental association you out of every account. You
make between work and an office might even consider Focus on one
can make you more productive and working primarily in distraction at
there’s no reason that feeling should a private or, if you’re 10 a time
be lost when working remotely. When using Chrome, an There’s an
working from home, do all the things ‘incognito’ browser expression out there
you’d do to prepare for an office role: window. This that goes: “If you
set your alarm, make coffee, and wear ensures you stay want something
nice clothes (I don’t always do this signed out of all your done, ask a busy
one, but it helps some people I know). accounts and each person.”
Internet browsers like Google Chrome web search you conduct The bizarre, but true,
even allow you to set up multiple doesn’t autocomplete rule of productivity is that
accounts with different toolbars on the the word you’re typing. the busier you are, the more
top, for example, a toolbar for home and It’s a guarantee that you won’t be you’ll actually do. It’s like Newton’s
a separate toolbar for work. tempted into taking too many social law of inertia; if you’re in motion, you’ll
breaks during the day. stay in motion. If you’re at rest, you’ll
Structure your day like you stay at rest. And busy people are in
would in the office Commit to doing more fast enough motion that they have the
3 When working from home, you’re Projects always take longer than momentum to complete anything that
your own personal manager. Without 7 you initially think they will. For comes across their desk. Unfortunately,
things like an in-person meeting that reason, you’ll frequently get done it’s hard to find things to help you reach
schedule to break up your day, it can be less than you set out to do. So, just as that level of busyness when you’re
easy to lose focus or burn out. To stay you’re encouraged to overestimate how at home – your motivation can just
on schedule, segment what you’ll do much time you’ll spent doing one thing, swing so easily. That said, try not to get
and when over the course of the day. you should also overestimate how many distracted by lots of things, just focus on
If you have an online calendar, create things you’ll do during the day. Even if one distraction at a time. Work out, do
personal events and reminders that tell you come up short of your goal, you’ll the laundry or wash the pots. Anything
you when to shift gears and start on new still come out of that day with a solid which takes you from your screen for
tasks. Google Calendar makes this easy. list of tasks filed under ‘complete’. 10-30 minutes should give you enough
time to swing back into work fully
Work when you’re at your focused.
most productive
8 Nobody sprints through their Plan out what you’ll be working
work from morning to evening – your on ahead of time
motivation will naturally ebb and 11Spending time figuring out what
flow throughout the day. When you’re you’ll do today can take away from
working from home, however, it’s all the actually doing those things. Plus, you’ll
more important to know when those have planned your task list so recently
ebbs and flows will take place and plan that you can be tempted to change your
your schedule around it. To capitalise schedule on the fly. It’s important to let
on your most productive periods, your agenda change if you need it to,
save your harder tasks for when you but it’s equally as important to commit
know you’ll be in the right headspace to an agenda that outlines every ‘to do’

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