Break The Routine Of Working from Home
By JD Esajian on July 5, 2019
More people are working from home than ever before. With the increase in technology and the lack of a true need for dedicated office space, this is a trend that will continue for the foreseeable future. As great as working from home can be, it can also become monotonous and even a little lonely if you don’t mix things up.
As much as you may have grown tired of working in an office at least you had co-workers to talk to and the proverbial water cooler to meet around. The ability to make your own schedule and work without distraction is a real advantage, but it can have some potential downsides as well. Here are five tips to help you break the monotony of working from home.
- Mix Up Work Location: One of the real benefits of working from home is the ability to work anywhere you like. We will touch on the benefits of keeping a dedicated work space in a little bit but working from home is the end of the cubicle. Regardless of where you work, sitting in the same place day after day can eventually wear on you. At least once a week you should mix up where you work. One day you can find a quiet coffee shop and work from there. The week after you can set up at your local library or a restaurant overlooking a beach or a busy intersection. The point is, you can get work done almost anywhere you are with the right focus. Sitting alone in your office for hours on end will eventually lead to boredom, which forces your mind to wonder. Find a few pet spots where you can get out of the house and switch things up. This will almost feel like a field trip from your school days and help keep you engaged with your work.
- Find Like-Minded People: If you worked in an office, you probably had a handful of people you could run thoughts or ideas by at any time. Most people working from home do so in isolation and don’t have that luxury. However, with social media you can quickly find groups that can fill that void. On Facebook alone, you can probably find a dozen local real estate investing groups to join. In these groups you can bounce ideas off, talk shop and even find a few deals. You also have the traditional networking path available. There are always local groups and clubs that meet either on a weekly or monthly basis. Make it a point to get out of the house and join these clubs. Not only does it help your business, but it will keep you feeling board with the business. Having a meeting to look forward to also breaks up the monotony of sitting at home for 50 hours a week. As untraditional as it sounds, the more breaks in your day the more productive you will be.
- Dedicated Work Space: As important as it is to break up your daily routine, you also need to have a dedicated work space. Sure, there are times when you can take your laptop outside and work on your back deck. However, for a bulk of your day you should have place inside to work. Your work space doesn’t necessarily need to be an office in your home. It can be the kitchen table, but you need to have some sort of organization. You should be able to retrieve documents or notes without searching all over for them. Deals in real estate often go to the people who act the fastest. Without organization in your workplace you may be just a step behind your competition. This can make all the difference. Having a dedicated workspace allows you to act faster and make better decisions.
- Maintain Regular Hours: Just because you can sleep till ten without being reprimanded by a boss doesn’t make it the best idea. Business is done whether you are awake or not. The best investors maintain regular work hours. In fact, it is a good idea to try to get up an hour or two before everyone in your household. Once the kids or your significant other is awake, it is difficult to maintain your focus. By starting your day earlier, you can map out a plan for what you want to get accomplished so all you have to do is act. Of course, there will be times when networking meetings or property showings gets in the way, but that is just a small deviation from the norm. It is also important to know when to close the laptop and focus on your personal life. Trying to squeeze in some property research while you are playing with your kids leaves you too scrambled and inefficient. Always try to maintain as regular a daily schedule as possible.
- Take Periodic Breaks: Regardless of where you work it is a good idea to take periodic breaks throughout the day. This is especially important when you work from home. Sitting in isolation with a TV muted in the background gets boring after a while. You need to get up for 10-15 minutes and give your mind a break. Go for a quick walk or feel free to scroll through your social media pages if you want but step away from your computer and turn off. On the surface, this may seem counter productive but by taking breaks you actually get more done. Your mind will be refreshed after your break and you will be ready to tackle, or continue, what you were doing.
Don’t let the routine of your day take the joy out of working from home. Use these five tips to help break the monotony and recharge your battery.