How you can successfully e-commute

I enjoy working from home. E-commuting out of my home has allowed me the flexibility to do a lot of things not otherwise possible if I were working a 9-5 job.

My favorite things about working from home include: shopping in the early afternoon when there aren’t any crowds, working in comfortable clothes as I sit at my desk, impromptu time spent with friends and family, and not having to face dreadful weather if I don’t have to (I’m talking about you winter vortex!).

All in all, working from home is a luxury but that doesn’t mean it should be taken advantage of. There are still deadlines to meet and my productivity is directly linked to the income I receive.

If you are new to working from home or are just looking for some tips to increase your productivity while working from home follow the steps below:

1) Create an office space

 Photo by Aleksi Tappura

Just because you are working at home doesn’t mean that you should allow your work to spill over into various parts of the house. While it may be convenient to take your work in the kitchen during lunch or the bedroom when you want to relax but still get some things done, you don’t want to lose track of any important papers or documents.

Have a designated office space where you store everything and that other family members know not to touch. Even if your designated space is messy, at least you know where everything is located. So if you do find that some of your work has migrated throughout the house during the day, be sure to return it to this space by the end of the day.

2) Remove distractions

 Photo by Hunter Langston

The ability of distractions to present themselves throughout the day is much more likely while working from home. Having a space that is away from televisions, animals that feel like play time, and laundry duties will help minimize the ability for distractions to arise. You don’t want to get sucked into a movie only to find you have a couple of hours to finish your task or project.

Find a well-lit room with a table/desk and comfortable chair – somewhere that you can get your ideas flowing. If you find yourself easily distracted by social media, there are several online sites that allow you to temporarily block access to social media sites in order for you to be more productive. Examples include http://getcoldturkey.com/ and http://anti-social.cc/

3) Balance your work and life schedules