How to Work From Home Successfully

While working from home is fantastic on so many levels, it's far from the relaxing, stress-free, productive day at home that everyone thinks. In fact, the reality is very different to lazing around all day, working in bed and watching day time television. 

We're sorry to break it to you, but you might actually find yourself working harder. 

Indeed, you're in the comfort of your own home, but the stresses and tiresome work still needs to be done. And how do you stop from getting distracted from domestic duties? Friends stopping by unannounced? Or by your children?

To help you make sure you're working to your optimal level while at home, we're come up with some tips and advice to get you started bossing your work from home! 

Firstly, create an office space
It really does make sense; if you've previously worked in an office office, you know that your desk was your productivity fortress. It was your space to get your head down and get on with your projects. Of course, in the comfort of your home, finding and building a similar area may seem more difficult than it is. 

Avoid lazing on the couch or in your bed, that's not good for anyone. You may find yourself losing focus, your body may begin to ache and eventually you'll lose steam with your work load. So to avoid unproductive minutes, create yourself an office space... A space that you can really be creative with to get your imagination and creativity juices flowing! 

The benefit is that as it's not an office office, where your employer determines the look and feel, you can do whatever you want with your new office spac at home. You can really personalise it by adding a few simple touches, inspirational pictures, quotes and your own comfy chair! 

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Plan your day like you would in the office
Get started early, give yourself dedicated working hours, pretend like you are going to an office office. Structure your days like you would if you were commuting to an external office. Otherwise you may only find yourself back in bed and less productive than you should be. You may find that you can get a lot more done the earlier you start to, and with the kitchen so close by, you can stop every so often for quick food and beverage breaks. 

Take care not to overload your time, however. When working at home you might find yourself doing more than you would if you worked elsewhere, as you're already at home. Perfect your time management, as you'll no longer have a line manager telling you to go home. 

Get into the habit of turning your laptop and social media off at a certain time, too. Don't forget how to take some time for yourself... Have a long bath, see friends. 

...Alternatively, plan your day around when you're most productive
If you're most productive later in the day, you have the freedom to structure your daily plan and work load to suit your optimum energy and productivity levels. But don't forget that a large majority of the people you're emailing and calling may not be on the same timings, so plan your day accordingly. 

Make use of the cloud
The cloud? Which cloud? The virtual cloud that everyone's using nowadays. Be it Google, or Apple or Windows... There's always a cloud available for your to use as a storage service for a minimal price. This way, you can log in from anywhere and never have to worry about carrying your files with you on a USB or external harddrive. 

Even if you don't use the cloud 100% for your work, it's good to have a back-up. 

Always get dressed
Like you're going to the office, seriously. You'll find that by keeping a regular routine in the morning every day will help you kick-start your productivity and you'll start your work load with the right attitude and energy needed to tackle it. By getting dressed you're sort of tricking yourself into making home feel more like a real office. 

SEE ALSO: 15 ways to fix your finances in 15 minutes

Take regular breaks
Like if you were in an office office, it's imperative that you step away from the screen for a few minutes here and there so as to make sure you don't drain yourself. Plus, my including other human beings in these breaks, like popping to the local coffee shop, running a work-related errand, meeting a client or contact, whatever it is... These interactions, albeit small, will most definitely help to keep you sane. Trust us!

...But don't take non-work appointments during the day
Don't plan the doctor and dentist in the middle of your working day. As you would if you were working in an external office, plan your non-work related appointments accordingly so they minimise the disruption to your work.

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Working from home isn't a piece of cake, but hopefully with our tips and advice you'll find getting into and maintaining a routine that suits you will be easier. And plus, you can be smug over the fact you don't have to commute every day!