Some of us are
fortunate to have a great home office, but not all home business owners have
that luxury.
The comfort,
freedom, and convenience can be amazing, and certainly being your own boss is a
dream come true for many.
A large part of
whether or not you are successful working from home depends on the environment
in which you work. If you work in a
healthy, productive situation, you have a much better chance of succeeding with
your internet marketing business.
Distinguishing
between our home life and our work life can be a major problem for those with
home businesses. Because of this, if you
have not yet done so, select an area in your home where you will work. If you have a separate room to use
specifically as an office, that’s great.
If you do not, however, choose an area where you will work your business
all the time, even if it is a small desk in the corner of your bedroom. This is psychologically important. When you sit down to work at the same place
each day, you are telling yourself that it is time to work.
Physically
separating yourself from your home life is important, but mentally creating
that separation is equally important.
One part of the mental separation is creating a specific work schedule,
the hours that you will be working, which should not include the rest of the
time that you are simply “at home.”
Everyone is
different, but I have found that getting dressed, fixing my hair and makeup puts
me into “work mode.” People talk about
working in their pajamas. I could not be
productive that way. Even though I am in
my own home, I am “going to work,” and I must dress appropriately.
If your family
and professional life is not clearly separated, you may find that you’ll be
less productive when you work, and you may not feel as relaxed during your family
or leisure time.
Regarding family
life, this is an area that can be challenging for work-at-home parents. Unless you have very young children, I
suggest you discuss your plans for your home business. Make it clear when you will be working and
should not be disturbed. If you are working
in a “communal” area of your home, be sure everyone understands that your work
hours are quiet times. If you do not
establish specific rules about what you expect from your family when you work,
you will find it next to impossible to accomplish the work required to be
successful.
To prevent
headaches and eye strain, whenever possible, use natural light in your work
area. If it is not possible to have
natural light, studies have shown that “full-spectrum” light bulbs offer the
best light for a work environment. Although
primarily a marketing term, full-spectrum bulbs generally have brightness similar to daylight, and the bulbs have the best
color rendering capability.
If your work chair is
uncomfortable, it will become a distraction and you will likely work fewer
hours. The right chair helps keep us be
more focused and improves our sitting posture.
Your chair should provide lumbar support and offer height adjustment. I
have had a great experience with my own office chair, which was much less
expensive than the many other options I found in my local office supply
chair. You are going for comfort, not
expensive features that some stores offer.
My chair was less than $100.
Research has shown that
having one or more plants near your work area or office can help you be more
productive, lower blood pressure and stress.
So, you may want to consider a plant or two.
My final tip is to
remember to take breaks! It is easy to
become so involved in our work that we sit at our desks too long. Every three hours or so, take a break. A 15 to 30 minute, even an hour break once a
day can sharpen your mind and give you more energy. If possible, go outside for some fresh air. Take a walk.
We need a change of scenery when we work at home to keep us alert and to
avoid “cabin fever.”
Having a comfortable
environment in which to work, with no distractions can greatly improve your
productivity and frame of mind. I hope
these suggestions help you enjoy “going to work.”
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