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Do you struggle to make it through your to-do list each day? You’re not alone. When you work from home, it can be difficult to stay on-task, and being out of the typical office environment can come as a bit of a shock to the system. When you work for yourself, you’re in charge of your own day and how you manage your time. But it’s important to get things done and get it done in a time that means you’re not spending all of your time at home working. Ready to become more efficient with your work? Here are some tips on making your working hours count.
Get dressed
It seems like a simple thing, but getting dressed and ready for work in the morning can alter your mindset and help you feel ready to start working. While you might be tempted to spend all day in your pjs or comfy clothes, getting dressed in some work clothes (it doesn’t have to be a suit!) will help you distinguish between when it’s time to work and when it’s time to relax in your home.
Make sure your office is distraction-free
Is your home office fit for purpose? Why not try organizing your home office so that it’s distraction-free and has everything you need to do a great job. Make sure all of your technology is fit for purpose – slow, ineffective IT equipment can be a difficult thing to deal with. If you visit dyrand.com, you’ll be able to get IT services that ensure your equipment is up to scratch so you can do your job. Minimize those distractions and make the most of your day.
Read emails at set times
It’s easy to spend all of your time reading and writing emails, but this can actually form a much larger part of the day than you’d like. Remedy this by setting aside some time each day to check emails and not touching them outside of these hours. Effective email management comes with staying on top of things, but not letting emails take over the rest of your working day. Make sure you keep your computer organized too to ensure your days aren’t spent having to search for your work!
Tackle the hard work in the morning
You’re at your most productive in the morning after a good night’s sleep, making mornings the best time to get through your tougher tasks. Put your energy into those and then use the afternoons to help you manage your other tasks. Productivity apps can be great for helping you manage your workload and give priority to certain tasks over others. When the post-lunch slump sets in, you’ll feel better knowing you got the tougher things out of the way in the morning!
Improving the way you work and learning to prioritize tasks appropriately can help you handle your workload and ensures you don’t fall behind. Time management can be a difficult process for solopreneurs, freelancers and lone workers, but it can be achieved by changing some of your ways. With a new approach to working from home, you’ll find that you start managing your time much more effectively, allowing you to enjoy the work/life balance that can come from working for yourself.
