15
de Setembre
de
2015 - 11:00
Act.
16
de Febrer
de
2016 - 16:12
The return to the daily routine after the holidays always provides opportunities for trying out new ideas or putting into practice those ideas we have been thinking about for a long time. The boost provided by our time off is an advantage when returning to everyday life. If we have decided to start working from home, because our jobs allow us to (remote connections are increasingly secure and allow companies to farm out work), what follows are six pieces of advice that allow us to be more efficient and at the same time enjoy the convenience that working from home provides:
1. Having our own workspace
At home we can find a number of areas where we can feel comfortable working. Nevertheless, we must not fall into the temptation of getting too comfortable working from the sofa or the kitchen.
Each area of the house has its own function, and if we want to be efficient and concentrate, the best thing is to have a small workspace or office where we have all the tools we need and where we can avoid distractions. In this way, we will be able to enjoy the other areas of the home when we need to disconnect or relax for a while.
2. Organising rest periods
It is important to take a rest every now and again, whether it be for 10 minutes every two hours or focusing on work for a whole morning or afternoon knowing that on finishing the working day we can enjoy a good rest with friends, watching TV, doing sport, and so on.
It is vital to organise our rest periods so that we remain aware of how long they will last or when the working day will finish; only in that way will we be able to concentrate and be productive, finishing the task in the allotted time.
3. Install an app that "disconnects you from the net"
We have to avoid distractions. We all know how disruptive messages from the likes of Facebook, Twitter or Instagram can be, not only because of the contents of the message but because it encourages us to go online, responding or following up links, which ends up becoming a complete distraction.
Without realising it, we can spend between 15 and 30 minutes totally disconnected from our work. There are useful apps that can help us avoid this, such as Stayfocusd for Windows or Selfcontrol for Mac. These apps allow us to programme which messages we do not want to get during certain time periods.
4. Organise the working day according to the importance of the task
As with any job, working from home also means doing lots of different tasks. It is not the same thing to manage a client's income as writing an annual financial report to talking to a client's supplier on the phone. We must organise the work according to which tasks are the most important on that working day.
The brain is at its freshest and most awake early in the morning and not at the end of the day. To take advantage of this, we should do the tasks that require most concentration first. If we do that, apart from being more productive, we will be able to enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done and increase the sense of efficiency.
5. Plan your work according to the task, not a schedule
Related to the previous point, organising the completion of a task according to a timetable is not recommended, as it is a way of unnecessarily putting stress on ourselves. Plan out your tasks well according to their importance, and not according to the time you think you will need.
6. Be careful with background noise
Listening to music while you work is recommended, whenever you are working on the computer or making phone calls. Music helps to break the monotony of routine. You have to remember that if your professional life is going well, you will be spending a lot of time working from home and, therefore, you have to take make the most of the advantages.
Listening to music is a luxury, so take advantage of it. The music you listen to has to be relaxing, not strident or stressful, and it must be something that does not distract you. Be very careful with radio stations or online radio channels: Music has to be background noise to break the monotony, and nothing else.
1. Having our own workspace
At home we can find a number of areas where we can feel comfortable working. Nevertheless, we must not fall into the temptation of getting too comfortable working from the sofa or the kitchen.
Each area of the house has its own function, and if we want to be efficient and concentrate, the best thing is to have a small workspace or office where we have all the tools we need and where we can avoid distractions. In this way, we will be able to enjoy the other areas of the home when we need to disconnect or relax for a while.
2. Organising rest periods
It is important to take a rest every now and again, whether it be for 10 minutes every two hours or focusing on work for a whole morning or afternoon knowing that on finishing the working day we can enjoy a good rest with friends, watching TV, doing sport, and so on.
It is vital to organise our rest periods so that we remain aware of how long they will last or when the working day will finish; only in that way will we be able to concentrate and be productive, finishing the task in the allotted time.
3. Install an app that "disconnects you from the net"
We have to avoid distractions. We all know how disruptive messages from the likes of Facebook, Twitter or Instagram can be, not only because of the contents of the message but because it encourages us to go online, responding or following up links, which ends up becoming a complete distraction.
Without realising it, we can spend between 15 and 30 minutes totally disconnected from our work. There are useful apps that can help us avoid this, such as Stayfocusd for Windows or Selfcontrol for Mac. These apps allow us to programme which messages we do not want to get during certain time periods.
4. Organise the working day according to the importance of the task
As with any job, working from home also means doing lots of different tasks. It is not the same thing to manage a client's income as writing an annual financial report to talking to a client's supplier on the phone. We must organise the work according to which tasks are the most important on that working day.
The brain is at its freshest and most awake early in the morning and not at the end of the day. To take advantage of this, we should do the tasks that require most concentration first. If we do that, apart from being more productive, we will be able to enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done and increase the sense of efficiency.
5. Plan your work according to the task, not a schedule
Related to the previous point, organising the completion of a task according to a timetable is not recommended, as it is a way of unnecessarily putting stress on ourselves. Plan out your tasks well according to their importance, and not according to the time you think you will need.
6. Be careful with background noise
Listening to music while you work is recommended, whenever you are working on the computer or making phone calls. Music helps to break the monotony of routine. You have to remember that if your professional life is going well, you will be spending a lot of time working from home and, therefore, you have to take make the most of the advantages.
Listening to music is a luxury, so take advantage of it. The music you listen to has to be relaxing, not strident or stressful, and it must be something that does not distract you. Be very careful with radio stations or online radio channels: Music has to be background noise to break the monotony, and nothing else.