Start working from home

Wouldn’t it be nice to work from home? All that free time, you can get up whenever you want and you don’t even have to get dressed – This is what it’s really like right? Wrong. Remember you are still there to do work. The problem with this attitude to flexible working lead to this stigma of working from home.

Not everyone who works from home does this. Some people find it a more productive environment because you can get right down to your work without interruptions, however there are still some problems with this method of working. You may find that you can over work yourself or alternatively can’t find the motivation. Before you consider working from home, there are 3 things you should master.

Balance

It’s not surprising that some people are a bit sceptical about allowing their employees to work from home. It can be hard to trust whether the work is going to get done. It’s also similar for those who are taking the leap to work from home yes there are many pros, no long commutes, no mundane small talk with your colleagues and when you look at it like the home working seems like heaven but sometimes it may feel like you can’t escape your working environment, which is now your home.

Finding the right balance between your work and personal life is something many people have tried to master even in the office.

If you choose to work from home, you can expect your friends and family to take advantage on the freedom and you may find your hours merge and you end up working weekends to catch up with the loss of time. If this your only option, you need to find a way to balance your work and personal life.

One of the best ways to do this is to segregate your working environment. By having a room or workstation you can make this your place for work and make sure you only use this area when you are working so you can find the separation and not make the other areas in your house be used for anything but relaxation. Keep your home office as you would at work. Compartmentalise your life by keeping work in your designated hours.

Designating hours for work is probably one of the best ways to stay on track. By your employer allowing you to work from home you have to have some trust. You will be expected to deliver certain amount of work. The great thing about working from home is that nobody is keeping track and the bad thing is that no one is keeping track.

Remember just because you can work from home doesn’t mean you can catch up on your personal life. By allowing yourself too much leeway it will turn into a long term habit, keep your personal life for your own time.

Motivation

There are many reasons that people choose to work from home but if this is what you want to do it is important to set a routine to keep you focused. When doing this don’t forget to add in short breaks to keep you from going insane but also so you can recharge for the next round. You get breaks at the office, so why not at home? If you do schedule in breaks you can go one step further and set daily or weekly targets for yourself.

It’s hard to work from home especially when you are used to working in an office environment and surrounded by a lot of people. This makes it more important to get out of the house and maybe go for lunch with a colleague to discuss any projects.

It is also important to keep yourself just as productive as you would be at the office. If you try working from home and it doesn’t turn out as you thought it would and you fall behind, be honest with yourself. Maybe it’s best for you to face the morning commute.

Communication

A disadvantage of allowing your staff to work from home is that you can’t check in on how they are doing. Make it easier by allowing your employees to be reached whenever and wherever they are. If you change to a hosted system like, Universe your employees can let you know when they are busy or not around. They will be able to set their phones to do not disturb or divert their calls to their phone using the Universe SIM card or App.

If you have to travel or you work from home, having the Universe SIM card and App allows you to manage all your calls and look professional on the go all you need is an Internet connection. You can access the system on the go, which keeps you as productive and efficient as you would be in the office.

Try Universe today and see what it can do for you.