Telecommuting and remote work have become increasingly popular over the last few years. Many corporate roles today require knowledge work, which, thankfully, isn’t limited to a specific location. This offers more flexibility for employees. Working from home sounds like a dream, but there are many drawbacks to contend with. Whether you’re self-employed or an employee, you must remain productive. The challenges that you face each day can result in some seriously disastrous blunders. With that in mind, here are thirteen mistakes made when working at home.
13 huge mistakes people make when working from home
- Starting The Day Unprepared
Before starting work in the morning, you must have a clear plan for the day ahead. Regardless of whether you’re an employer or employee, you can’t walk into the office without an itinerary. If you have no schedule for your day, you’ll waste precious minutes, if not hours, deciding which tasks to tackle and when. A handwritten or typed to-do list is all you need to remind you of what work must be done. Make this list reasonable, since a long to-do list isn’t even nearly as productive.
- Keeping Your Pajamas On
Working from home means you don’t have a company dress code to contend with. However, you shouldn’t wear whatever you want. Although it’s tempting to work in pajamas, doing so will impact your productivity. After all, most people only wear pajamas to bed, so we associate them with relaxation. Working in this attire will make it difficult to get into a professional headspace. You don’t have to wear trouser suits, but you should put on clothes you would wear outside.
- Lounging On The Couch
The concept of working from home can be difficult for people to grasp. Although you understand that you should be working, your loved ones might not realize that. Because of this, you’ll likely find that neighbors pop over for coffee and friends ask to hang out, even though they know your schedule. An easy remedy for this problem is to establish boundaries and professionalism. Stop working from your couch and instead make a home office from which you can work peacefully.
- Eating Too Many Snacks
Having your own kitchen just around the corner allows you to prepare food when working from home. The trouble is, many remote workers take advantage of this space. Instead of only eating lunch, most people graze all day on snack foods. This is bad for your health and waistline. Rather than heading into the kitchen every few minutes, you should keep healthy snacks in your office. Doing this will not only limit how much you eat but make sure that what you eat is good.
- Ignoring Signs Of Stress
Employee stress is a very real problem in workplaces all over the world. Because of the seriousness of the issue, employers tend to keep an eye out for it. When you work alone, you must monitor your own stress levels. Signs of stress often include insomnia, low energy, and headaches. If you notice these symptoms, you should find ways to eliminate stress. There are countless methods you could try, such as exercise and medication, coloring, and journaling.
- Sharing Your Home Address
All businesses must provide an address for which customers can use to contact them. When working for a company, this likely doesn’t concern you. However, anyone running their own venture must consider the address they give carefully. Advertising your home address could make your property a target for thieves and other crooks. That is why you should think about hiring a virtual address instead. This would offer many benefits to you, including security.
- Having No Backup Workspace
Any number of household issues could make your home an impossible place to work. The wifi could go down, leaving you unable to connect to the internet, or the pipes could crack, causing the house to flood. This problem would require help from Poly b replacement experts. When an issue like either of these occurs, you must have a backup plan. Make sure you have another home or public space you can work in; otherwise, you’ll have to miss an entire day of work.
- Staying Inside All Day
Unless household issues cause a problem, there is no need to go outside when working from home. However, that doesn’t mean you should stay inside all day. Humans are very social creatures, which means we need social interaction to live happy and healthy lives. Because of this, you must find an excuse to leave the house at least once every day. Even a quick walk to the corner shop will allow you to get fresh air and speak to people other than those you live with.
- Taking Too Many Breaks
Studies have shown that working from home leads to higher levels of productivity. Unfortunately, this is only true if you actually work. Working in your own space provides a great deal of freedom. While this is certainly a benefit, it can impact your productivity if you begin to slack off. Taking too many breaks will cause just as much harm as taking none at all. That is why you should create a schedule for your day, which provides time for reasonable and regular breaks from the office.
- Depending On Loved Ones
Without any coworkers around to gossip with, many remote workers fall into the habit of discussing work problems with friends and family. Although your loved ones might put up with this for a while, they will eventually grow weary of talking about your professional woes. What’s more, because your loved ones won’t fully understand your problems, they could give terrible advice. That is why you should connect with other remote workers or business people instead.
- Letting Your Inbox Overflow
Everyone knows that mess is a huge source of stress, which can affect work. Even when your office is tidy, an overflowing inbox can impact your productivity. Not only will the countless emails cause anxiety, but the disorganization might make you miss important messages or forget essential tasks. That is why you must keep your inbox clean. Start by archiving any messages you need to save and then delete the rest. Once this is done, the pressure will lift right away.
- Overlooking Any Tax Benefits
Anyone working from home, especially when self-employed, has a number of tax benefits to enjoy. There are many essentials you can write off, including office space and a work phone. It might even be possible to save a portion of your car usage and utilities. Taking advantage of these benefits will lower your operating costs and reduce stress come tax season. To make the most of any deductions, make sure you hire a qualified accountant to handle your taxes.
- Working At The Weekend
Everyone needs a break now and then, even when working from home. When your office and house are the same place, it can be tempting to work every day. That being said, you must resist the temptation. Unless you take time off, you’ll eventually burn yourself out, which will make you even more unproductive than ever. Always take two days off work to recharge each week. These days don’t have to be Saturday and Sunday, but you must completely disconnect from work.
While working from home can certainly be tough, there are many amazing benefits to enjoy. You’ll spend less time commuting, improve your productivity, and lower any work clothing costs. Hopefully, with the tips above, you can make a success of working from home.
Kori
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