Your company may have taken the difficult decision to work from home indefinitely. If this is the case then you need to make sure you are prepared for this. It can seem daunting and a lonely prospect, especially if you are used to being surrounded by other employees.

Working from home may come easy to you, it could fit into your lifestyle better than working in an office. You don’t know until you try. 

Find A Space

The first step in working from home is to find a suitable place within your home to work. This needs to be somewhere that you can get complete quiet and focus. It might be a spare room or a setup within an existing room. You might decide to convert your spare room into an office, this will be very handy as it means you can just shut the door at the end of the day. If you don’t have any spare room available to work then you can make it work, don’t panic. You might decide to use your kitchen or dining room table. If so, make sure you shut down and put everything away at the end of the day. This is so you can transition from work mode to home mode. 

Get The Right Equipment

When it comes to working from home you need to make sure you have all the right equipment. You might have a job that involves a lot of files, if you only have hard copies then you will need somewhere to store these. If they are confidential files then you may need to invest in a lockable filing cabinet to store them in. You will also need to make sure you are comfortable, as working at a desk for eight hours can be a strain on your body. 

Your business might let you order some office furniture seeing as they decided their staff would work from home. If this is the case then you will need a desk and a chair. You should ensure the chair has a high back that is adjustable to make sure there is no pressure put on your back or arms while typing. You may also be able to bring your laptop or PC home from the office to use at home, if so then this will be a lot easier to use as it will have all existing programmes on it. If not, there are second-hand laptops that you can buy, or you can use an existing one you have at home. Be sure to wipe it clean before you start using it. You can do it at home yourself or take it to a professional to service for you. 

 Limit Distractions 

Finally, when you work from home you will find yourself faced with many distractions. These can come in the form of the postman knocking on the door, or your own children running around the place. You must alert those close to you that you are working from home and can’t be disturbed. If you are located in a room then you might want to get a sign for the door to specify you are working. If you are located in the kitchen or dining room then a gentle reminder when you start work to be quiet will help.

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Note: This is a collaborative article.