There are a lot of people who will have to spend the next couple of weeks working from home, either because of their employer or because their child's school is closed. And while working from home sounds like a great time to kick back and relax, there are a few things that you can do to make sure that your time around the house is as low-stress as possible.
- Setup your home office – While working form home basically means you can work from anywhere inside your house, it would be smart to set a designated place for you to do your job. Try to pick an area with few distractions, and if possible try to recreate your in-office experience.
- Clean up your home office space – Since you may be making video calls with the office, make sure your space looks neat so others don’t think you’re a slob.
- Powering your home office – You’re going to probably have to plug in a lot of devices in order to work from home, so it’s smart to arm yourself with a dedicated power strip just for work. Look for one with eight to 12 power outlets so you never have to worry about running out of places to plug in.
- What you need for your phone – You’re going to be on your phone a lot, and if you want to be able to get other things done you may want to invest in a cellphone stand. Also invest in power cables that will charge your phone faster since you don’t want to be caught with a low battery.
- Printer – If you think your stint working from home is going to last a long time you may want to invest in a printer.
- Set up a dedicated work space – That way you know when you sit down to this space, it is time to work. A room away from all the family action is best.
- Have a routine – Set work hours, and set non work hours. Keep your boundaries best you can.
- Get dressed – I know it's tempting to stay in PJs, but you'll get more done when you set yourself up for a productive day.
- Be realistic – If you plan to do chores around the house while you’re working from home, be realistic about what you can get done. Take a break and check the mail, but don’t try to tackle that mountain of laundry at one go.