5 Tips for Working from Home!

Written by NDA tutor Amy Payler-Carpenter

Whether studying or starting your own business, working from home can be a great help both financially and practically. However, without a clear line dividing home life and professional life it can be difficult to strike the right balance. It can also be isolating for those who are naturally sociable. Here are 5 tips for working from home to help those of you who are new to this or have found yourselves struggling to adjust.

1. Have Breakfast

Not just breakfast, but a lunch break too. Routine is important especially when the lines are blurred. Get up. Get dressed. Set your working hours and don’t let these hours spill into your evening. Drawing a line between your personal and professional life will make for a more productive working day.

2. Be Inspired

It is important to like the space you are working in; do you have a favourite view? If so can you see this from where you work? Fill your office with your favourite furniture and accessories. If you are a visual person working within a creative industry surround yourself with things which inspire you, a notice board or ideas wall is a great way to do this.

3. Get Support

Working on your own can be tough, especially if you are a sociable person. Think about creating a buddy system with a friend in a similar situation and working together once a week. As well as emotional support, physical support is equally important. Get yourself a comfortable chair with plenty of back support, as you are likely to be spending a lot of time in it!

4. Get Organised

It is important to be organised wherever you work, not just physically but mentally. Have a clear plan, write a list, divide your time up into hourly slots to ensure that you are giving all aspects of your working day the same consideration. Organise your space, have a place for everything and everything in its place to ensure you never lose that very important document!

5. Free Yourself From Distraction

You might be the kind of person who needs some background noise, but if you are easily distracted by the TV, housework or phone calls then lock yourself away from these and only allow yourself to be distracted during allotted break times. It is also important to tell friends and family that although you are at home you are working, in other words, ‘I’m too busy for visitors’.

These are just a few things to try when working from home, I will leave you with some thoughts from our tutor team who have kindly offered their own words of wisdom:

“I always have my cats for company.”

“I like to keep a big bowl of snacks next to me at all times.”

“When I’m doing practical work I listen to audiobooks.”

“It is important for me to get up and go for a walk, especially the work is particularly taxing.”

To find out more about our online courses, which allow you to work from the comfort of your own home, you can visit our website!