Many people across the county have jobs that allow them to work from their homes, and I’m one of them. I started my own business earlier this year, and as much as I love it, there are a few challenges that come along with working from home. One of my biggest struggles has been learning how to avoid distractions and staying productive during the workday. In my experience, there is one simple solution for this—creating a dedicated, creative workspace. Below are a few reasons why this is so important and some tips for how you can create one for yourself:
Out of sight, out of mind
Besides always having the ability to sit on the couch, or in front of your television, a major contributor to productivity loss is the temptation to start completing personal to-do list tasks during the hours of 8-5.
Your workday should consist of only work-related tasks, just as it would with any other job. If you’re in the same vicinity of visual reminders related to personal life responsibilities, it’s far too easy to say “this will only take a minute” and start crossing off those list items. Seeing a stack of dishes, a hamper full of laundry or smudges on your windows can seriously dip into the time that you should be focusing on work.
Pride & legitimacy
It’s understood that one of the main perks of having a dedicated space to work in your home is that it virtually removes you from your personal life and the responsibilities that come along with it, but that’s only the first half of it.
On the other side, it also gives you a psychological feeling of legitimacy to your business, which makes you feel proud of yourself and what you do. You aren’t working from your coffee table; you’re working in your business’s office. That might sound somewhat trivial; however, being reminded that you’re really doing it (‘it’ being running your own business or following your dream of working from home) can be a serious morale booster—reigniting the same passion that gave you the drive to pursue your line of work from home in the first place. Confidence and drive play a key role in productivity in almost all situations in life, and work is no exception.
Make it your own
Creating your dedicated workspace should be a fun process. Fill it with things that represent you and your mission. It should be a fully functional office, and that should be at the top of the priority list, but that’s not where it ends. Surround yourself with artwork that inspires you, decor that makes you comfortable and stress-free, or items representing your previous successes and accomplishments (these don’t necessarily have to be work related).
One thing I’ve found really helpful is experimenting with lighting. Figure out which color temperature works well for you, especially if natural light is at a minimum. Do scents calm you? If so, try adding candles, incense or air fresheners into the equation. The amount of effort that you put into personalizing your space can really make a positive impact on your creativity, focus, and productivity in the room. A large dry-erase board, calendar, or reference materials such as charts and posters won’t hurt either. The more tools that you have readily available, the quicker you can get things done—and as an entrepreneur or a professional working from home, time is money.
Isolation from the areas of the house where relaxing and personal life takes place and dedicating a space strictly for work has helped me tremendously.
Making the transition to working from home can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Set up a dedicated, creative space. And don’t forget this added bonus: your commute will always be much shorter than it once was!
This blog post was written by guest blogger Dylan Spitz. Dylan is a music producer and composer for film, games, and other forms of media who lives and works in Columbus, Ohio. He recently started his own business where he works from home everyday and loves every minute. Do you have a question for him? Send an email to spitzcreative@gmail.com or visit www.dylanspitz.com.
Are you looking for opportunities to work from home? Contact Digital Works at info@digitalworksjobs.org. We’d be happy to talk to you about how we connect adults to leading-edge customer support and IT jobs for global corporations.