Setting Up a Work at Home Office
There are several things to consider when setting up your home office. You will need to first off, take into consideration your area you have to work with. What kind of work will you be doing? Working for a work at home call center, will you be answering phone calls for your whole shift? Will your work time be a mix of phone calls, customer emails, or no phone work at all. These are important because you will need to figure out where you can work in your home, quietly and productive.
I have been working at home for over 20 years and wanted to share my expertise with you! In our new home, we have the perfect work at home setup, thank goodness, since Covid closed the world down, the day after we moved. Unknowingly, we could not have planned this any better. Timing was perfect! My husband and I are able to have seperate offices in our house. This is my office, where I was taking phone calls for a work at home call center, and currently make youtube channels and work on my blog.
If you want to boost your productivity levels when working from home, it helps to set up an office. Having an area purely dedicated to working will help you to separate work from leisure.
The question is, how can you set up an effective home office environment? Here, you’ll discover some of the best ways to set up a work at home office and the key things to consider.
Consider how long you’ll be working from home
The first thing you need to think about is how long you’ll be working from home. If it’s only a very short period of time, it would be pointless investing in an entire home office set up. In this situation, it would be better to invest in just the essentials.
However, if you have the budget it could be worth setting up a permanent home office. That way, you’ll always have somewhere set up to work at home if needed.
Making sure you have the right equipment
You’re going to need some level of equipment to work from home. At the very least, you’re going to need a laptop or desktop computer and a desk, and probably noise cancelling headphones, these are awesome!
If you aren’t setting up a permanent home office, you can use things such as the dining room table or a makeshift bedroom office. Some people are even getting creative and using an ironing board as a stand-up desk option.
Other things you’re going to need include a good internet connection and online security.
Ensure the space has plenty of natural sunlight
When you’re stuck indoors, you won’t be getting as much natural sunlight as you usually would. This can have an impact on how productive and motivated you are. Numerous studies have revealed the damaging impact limited natural daylight can have on worker’s in an office setting and the same applies at home.
So, make sure you’re going to be working in a part of the home which benefits from a lot of daylight. If there isn’t a space available, you might want to consider investing in a daylight bulb. These are designed to replicate natural daylight. The window to the left of the desk allows for plenty of light to come in, which is awesome for those early morning shifts, when you don’t want the lights on!
Focus on comfort
Your home office should be a comfortable place you can work too. This means, providing plenty of support for your back if you’re working at a desk for example.
If you aren’t comfortable, you’re not going to get much work completed. You’ll also find it beneficial to surround yourself with things that make you happiest, such as photos of the family and plants or flowers.
These are some of the basics you should consider when setting up an home office. Whether you’re setting up a permanent or temporary office space, you need to ensure it has everything you need and it’s quiet and comfortable to work in.
Tech That Can Help When You’re Working from Home
When you’re working from home, there are a lot of challenges you need to contend with. Reduced productivity, time management and motivation can all be problematic when you’re trying to get work done. However, the good news is there are things available out there which can help.
You can invest in a lot of different technology these days. When implemented correctly, the right tech can make working from home a breeze. Here, we’ll look at some of the top tech you’ll want to invest in when working from home.
A decent router
As you’ll be relying upon the internet to work from home, it’s important to make sure you have a good router. If you’ve had your existing router for a while now, you might want to consider upgrading.
The more reliable and modern your router is, the less likely it’s going to cause issues when you’re working from home. So, if your router is pretty old, consider asking your provider to send a newer one. Or, you can invest in one yourself if need be.
Network security
Another thing you’re going to need is network security. This is especially true if you work within a data sensitive industry. At the very least, you’ll want to get a VPN set up so you can work privately away from the prying eyes of hackers.
You’ll also want to make sure you’ve got good virus protection in place. The latest internet security will help to keep you safer while working from home.
Ways to Work with Kids in the House
If you’re stuck working from home with the kids, there’s no doubt it’s going to be challenging! Any parent knows that getting anything done with their kids around can be almost impossible sometimes.
However, there are some great tips you can follow to make working from home with the kids much easier. It’s all about finding the right balance. Here, you’ll learn some of the best ways you can effectively work from home even with kids in the house.
Plan engaging activities
When you need to get on with an important project, it can help to get the kids immersed in an engaging activity. Craft projects tend to be a popular option. They are fun for the kids, and they take a while to complete.
You’ll find hundreds of craft project ideas online. Try and find something which utilizes supplies you already have in the home. Then, they can be getting on with their crafts while you complete your important work tasks.
Create a routine early on
Working from home and having the kids home all day is a new experience for both you and them. Therefore, it’s going to help if you create a routine as early as you can.
Kids thrive with a routine so make sure you all have set wake up, meal and bedtimes. Try and schedule time you can spend together on your breaks too. That way, they are still getting one to one attention from you, reducing the likelihood they’ll pester you when you need to get on with work.
Obviously, it’s going to be hard to use noise cancelling headphones if you have kids to look after. However, you could always use them while the kids are busy watching a film or having a nap.
Online tools
Did you know there’s some great online tools you can use when you’re working from home? Task management software is especially useful, and you can use a lot of it absolutely free.
You have a number of options when it comes to task management software such as Asana, Basecamp and Trello. Make sure you compare the different tools available before choosing the best one for your needs.
These are some of the top pieces of tech you’ll need to work from home more effectively. You don’t need a huge budget, although it’s best not to opt for the cheapest security software for example. Know where to spend and where you can cut back, such as with free online tools.
Connection is Important: Stay Connected When Working from Home
One of the pitfalls of working from home, is how isolating it can be. When you’re used to working in an office setting surrounded by other workers, it can suddenly feel quite lonely when you’re working by yourself. That’s why it is important to keep yourself connected to the outside world.
So, how can you stay connected when working from home? Here, you’ll discover some great tips to follow to ensure you don’t feel too isolated.
Host regular group chats with colleagues
As you won’t be seeing your colleagues face to face, it’s important to keep in touch digitally. Hosting regular group chats with colleagues can really help to keep you connected.
Ideally, you’ll want to set aside specific times to do this. Having a group chat first thing in the morning before you start work is a good idea. That way, you’ll be able to get clarification on any projects you’re working on together too.
Take advantage of social media
While you’ll want to limit social media while you’re working, it can still prove useful for staying in touch.
To ensure you don’t waste time on it, a good idea is to set aside specific social media times. This gives you the opportunity to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues without it negatively impacting your productivity.
Utilize video calls
Technology has come a long way over the past decade. You don’t need to be in the same room as colleagues and clients to keep in touch. Instead, you can utilize video call software.
Whether you use something like Apple’s Facetime, or Skype, you can feel much more connected to people. Not only do you hear them, but you see them too which can make a big difference to limiting how isolated you feel.
Set reminders for birthdays and events
You can still celebrate special occasions and events such as birthdays, by setting yourself calendar reminders. This will ensure that even when you’re out of the office, you still stay connected with colleagues during these special times.
Respond to communication quickly
If you receive emails from colleagues and clients, make sure you respond quickly. When you’re working in isolation, waiting hours, or even days, just to get a reply can be tough. So, ensure your colleagues and clients don’t feel ignored by responding as quickly as you can to communication.
These are some of the best ways to stay connected when you’re working from home. It isn’t always easy, but if you make the effort, you’ll feel much less isolated. It can be a real shock to the system moving from office to home working. So, allow yourself a period of adjustment to deal with the changes and adopt a more flexible working approach.
Ways to Work with Kids in the House
If you’re stuck working from home with the kids, there’s no doubt it’s going to be challenging! Any parent knows that getting anything done with their kids around can be almost impossible sometimes.
However, there are some great tips you can follow to make working from home with the kids much easier. It’s all about finding the right balance. Here, you’ll learn some of the best ways you can effectively work from home even with kids in the house.
Plan engaging activities
When you need to get on with an important project, it can help to get the kids immersed in an engaging activity. Craft projects tend to be a popular option. They are fun for the kids, and they take a while to complete.
You’ll find hundreds of craft project ideas online. Try and find something which utilizes supplies you already have in the home. Then, they can be getting on with their crafts while you complete your important work tasks.
Create a routine early on
Working from home and having the kids home all day is a new experience for both you and them. Therefore, it’s going to help if you create a routine as early as you can.
Kids thrive with a routine so make sure you all have set wake up, meal and bedtimes. Try and schedule time you can spend together on your breaks too. That way, they are still getting one to one attention from you, reducing the likelihood they’ll pester you when you need to get on with work.
