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Working From Home Has Its Perks,
But Requires Discipline
Working from home is not as simple as it seems. It sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Telling people you ‘work from home’ makes it sound as if you potter around all day in your pajamas, with a phone in one hand and perhaps a spatula in the other. Actually, it’s a little more complicated than that and takes more discipline and commitment than you may think. Being at home means there are plenty of distractions – from the maid and the dog to that annoying next-door neighbour who thinks you have all day to chat with her. Being at home also means you are more involved with what is happening at home – are the breakfast dishes washed? Is the house clean? Did the maid change the water in the flower vase? Did she buy the vegetables? Should you buy the vegetables? What about lunch? It goes on. It would be magic if you got any work done at all in a scenario like this! It is easy to get caught up being at home because it almost feels like you’re on holiday! To be able to do any productive work from home you need to:
Delegate time for housework and your own work - Ignore those dust bunnies behind the television and under the bed. Plan to do heavy cleaning once a week on Saturdays – and tell yourself you are working the rest of the week. Little house cleaning jobs like that annoying stain on the corner of the tablecloth can wait. No one notices anyway!
Do not mix personal with professional - Be firm when you get phone calls from your mother or your friends; tell them you are really working and they need to let you do so in peace.
Demarcate your workspace - Make yourself a quiet work corner it could be in the bedroom, in a corner of the drawing room, or if you are lucky and can turn a whole room into your workspace, go for it. Remember, no one messes with it, and this means it does not double as a homework corner for your children or a feeding table for your pet bird. The sanctity of a workspace needs to be preserved for you at home and you go there to work!
Equip your workspace with all you require - Have all the things you need at your desk, just like if you were in an office. A computer with an Internet connection, a telephone, diaries, papers, stationary, and anything else you require in your line of work. This ensures that you are not floating around the house all day looking for things, which can not only send confusing signals should the neighbour peep in and think you’re free for tea, but also distract you from your work.
Have a routine - Decide the time you work best. Whether it is around your family’s schedule, or early morning or late evening, learn to stick to it. It is good to have a routine, even at home. Make sure everyone knows that is the time you spend working. Shut the world out!
Get ready for work – It actually helps to shower and prepare yourself for the day, just as if you were actually going to an office not at your home. Also there is less temptation to get back into bed and catch a few more hours of sleep! You are free, of course, to wear shorts and a T-shirt! So get your cup of freshly ground coffee, or herbal tea, and get cracking on that assignment!
Ultimately, it’s a routine you have to set in place, and you can do it at home just as well as you can at the office. Of course, the perks of working at home cannot be denied – you can take a nap after lunch, just a short one, you get your own favourite coffee blend, not that instant rubbish and you decide when to start and when to finish, you are your own boss. You can take a walk to stretch your legs around the nearest park when you are done with your assignment for the day. Like I am planning now!
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.
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—About our writer:
Leela Kirloskar qualified as a lawyer and practiced law for around five years. She switched to publishing in 2001 and is now a freelance copy-editor . Leela is a single mother with two beautiful boys aged 16 and 13. She enjoys baking goodies, reading books, traveling and spending time with her children.
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