Working From Home Can Be a Disaster If You Don't Have Everything You Need

Working from home may seem like a dream that's just come to life. It's time to bail on the dress code, you can take breaks whenever you like, and you don't have to worry about commute times. But there is more to succeeding on a remote basis than you might think, and many people find it isn't as easy to do as they always believed . Interruptions from family and pets, lack of support by co-workers and partners, and a lack of structured direction from management can leave you struggling to be as productive while working remotely as you would be while in the office. Whether you are working from home for a short time, or on a permanent basis, there are things you'll want to prepare to make sure you can succeed. Here are five things you'll need to make sure your remote work experience isn't a disaster.

1 - Furniture

In the office you have a desk or a cubicle or even a counter where you regularly get your work done. You may share this space with one or more people, but it is still your dedicated area for taking care of your daily tasks and responsibilities. It is important that you create a similar space for yourself at home. While you may not have room for an entire office, you should find an area that you can set up to use just when you are working. A proper workspace should feature a desk or table intended just for work. It should be faced away from distractions like television or family. The chair needs to provide solid support and ergonomics to ensure that you are comfortable working for an extended period of time. The point is to only use it for your work-related activities. Try not to use a seat at your dining table or a place on the couch, as these are areas other people in your household may use and that can disturb your work flow.

2 - Technology

If you can't submit your work, there is no reason to be working from home. It's important that you can get everything done outside of the office as you would be able to get done in the office. This means you'll need a fast internet connection, a computer that can handle all software necessary, and potentially telecommunications so you can talk to coworkers, supervisors, and even clients as needed. In this day and age it is also a good idea to have a web camera and microphone set up so you can video chat with your work teams or customers. If you can, you should base your home set-up as closely as possible on your office set-up to make things easy and efficient. Also, if you’re video conferencing, try to avoid having odd distractions in the background. 

3 - Privacy

If you live alone you won't have to worry about setting up privacy rules with anyone. But if you have children, a partner, or roommates, you will find that it can be difficult to concentrate on your work tasks because people are constantly trying to talk to you, get your attention, or doing things around you that are distracting. One of the reasons it is a good idea to set up a dedicated workspace is because you can make sure this space is separate from everyone else in your house.

4 - Scheduling Assistance and Motivation

It's easy to forget a normal 9-5 schedule when you are working from home. You may feel like you can start and stop whenever you want and it won't matter. But setting a schedule for yourself can help you stay on task. It can ensure that you will get projects done in a timely manner, and it can help keep you focused even when there are things going on around you that are distracting. It can also help to keep kids, partners, and others away from your workspace if you tell them you have specific blocks of time you are working and not available. Scheduling is also more important when working from home because it can be very easy to just keep working after you would normally stop and throw off your work/life balance. 

5 - Proper Support and Communication Setup

When you are working in an office you have co-workers and supervisors around you on a regular basis that can assist you with problems and answer questions. They can also work to keep you focused. If you are working from home you may find that you lose those regular interactions that help you out. It is a good idea to set up a support system that you can contact on a regular (daily or semi-weekly) basis to make sure you are still handling your remote work well.