Work from home without losing your mind!

More and more workplaces are offering staff the ability to work flexibly away from the office. Small business owners and working Mums are also no strangers to working from home.

While it can be great, for some, working from home can also be a challenge. The fridge acts like a magnet, constantly calling you away from work to snack. The TV tempts you, even though deep down you know that Dr Phil doesn’t have the answers to the tasks on today’s to do list.

Here are our top tips for working from home without going crazy!

Dress for success

Get up and go through your morning routine as if your were going to work outside of home. As much as a sleep in and a day dressed in your PJs has massive appeal, it’s not the best for productivity. We’re not saying you need to press a shirt or throw on a power suit to be productive but staying in your snuggie probably won’t get you far from the couch. Think about what else you can do with the saved commute time. Meditate, read the paper or write a to do list .

Set aside a space specifically for work

Select a space that is conducive to creativity and concentration.

A comfy chair and desk space at a suitable height form the fundamentals. If this means clearing the kitchen table because that’s the only space available, then so be it. If space permits, a separate room or study nook can be really beneficial when it comes to ditching distractions.

Our Sienna 22 home boasts a study nook as well as separate living area perfect for a work space. The Eve and Rise designs also have separate media rooms, handy for segregating work from the main living area of the home. All Thrive home designs have between 3 and 4 bedrooms, which can easily be converted into home office spaces.

If working from home is something you do regularly, you may even want to talk to your accountant about potential tax deductions associated with running a home office.

Set the mood

Music can be a great help in getting you in the zone for work. Whether it’s through headphones to bock out other noise from around the house or an in home wireless speaker system like Sonos, pick the tunes that keep you motivated.

Certain colour combinations also help with concentration. The Huffington Post reported that according to Feng Shui principles, orange is a “yang” colour and will stimulate focus, concentration and promote organization. While orange walls might be a little much, pops of the colour could certainly help to brighten the space.

Keep a schedule

Make sure you take breaks as you would on a normal work day. This might mean a home made lunch outdoors or an afternoon walk to the local café for a coffee. The more structure to your day the less chance you have of being distracted.

Keep essentials like water, a pot of tea or coffee on hand to minimize trips to the kitchen. Healthy desk snacks like nuts or trail mix can also help you stay motivated.

Also make sure that you’re not tempted to keep working into your personal time. Just because you work from home shouldn’t meant that whenever you’re at home you’re on call.

If you’ve got any questions about which home designs work best for home offices, get in touch with us here.