magazine
36
How to make a success
of home working
As new research highlights
the pitfalls of home working,
Anjula Mutanda offers her
top tips for success
Home Working
Working from home is as contentious
an issue as ever. Supporters say it
makes them more productive, while
detractors argue the opposite.
A new survey of 1,000 workers
commissioned by office technology
specialist Altodigital gives ammunition
to both sides, with 40% of respondents
claiming their productivity more than
doubles when working from home and
a similar number admitting that their
motivation tails off after just four hours.
Working from Home – A productivity
report
by psychotherapist Anjula Mutanda
also reveals that 41% of home workers
regularly skive, for example by watching
TV (24%), doing household chores (27%)
or playing with their children (26%). More
than one third (35%) prefer to work in
their pyjamas or dressing gown.
Birthday suit or work suit?
For some, the ritual of getting formally dressed
for work and ‘commuting’ to a designated
work space is needed to prepare mentally for
work. For others, it is less important. The key
is to focus on what works for you and the
type of work you do.Whatever you choose, it
is important to be aware that how you dress
may subtly affect your attitude. You may enjoy
wearing a dressing-gown all day, but doing
so could sub-consciously put you in a relaxed
mood and slow you down.
When working alone, it is crucial to have
reminders that keep you in work mode,
whether that is wearing business-like clothing
or remembering to adjust your body language
when taking business calls, for example by
standing up or sitting up and smiling.
Don’t be the gopher
Be careful that you don’t become the ‘go to’
person for running other peoples’ errands.
Working from home can be interpreted by
family and friends as a licence to ask for
multiple favours, from picking up the kids or
doing the shopping to taking a relative out for
the day. Having boundaries and being strict
about your time management will stop others
from taking advantage of you.
Not alone
Working from home can be isolating, and the
sense of being cut off from others for long
periods can negatively affect your mood. If you
are working remotely, build-in time to make
contact with your office. If possible, schedule
time to go into the office, as this will act as a
physical and psychological reminder that you
Avoid the procrastination demon
This begins with the words “I’ll just....”. You can
fill in the blanks with: take a bath, vacuum the
house, update my status on Facebook or watch
that box-set everyone’s talking about!
One of the most effective ways to combat
this temptation is to make a list of what you
need to accomplish and a time frame in which
to do it. Once you achieve one task, tick it
off your list and move on to the next. This
approach will give you structure, keep you on
task and help you stay focused.
If you are simply too distracted by the
comforts of home, then consider swapping your
workspace for another, like the local library.
IT meltdowns
When IT glitches occur, such as emails not
connecting with the company server, internet
problems or crashes, we react emotionally.
However, frustration, blind panic and anger lead
to poor decision-making. The key is to wait a few
minutes and see if the problem resolves itself.
Taking a deep breath and cooling down gives you
the opportunity to think logically and consider
alternative solutions.
Don’t over-personalise the event by declaring
‘why does this always happen to me?’. This type
of thinking can cause you to feel totally helpless,
so don’t do it! Don’t get upset about what you
can’t control. Instead, look at what is possible:
contact technical support, take a walk around the
block or have a break.
Post–lunch slump
Sometimes known as the ‘graveyard session’,
the post-lunch slump between 1 and 3pm is the
time of day when our energy levels, mood and
alertness tend to be at their lowest and when
we may feel a very strong urge to take a nap. In
order to combat this, try to avoid eating heavily
at lunch and find time for a brisk 10-minute
walk. Save the most mentally demanding tasks
for periods when you are at peak alertness.
Neutralise your work space
This is almost the opposite of what we do when
we work in an office. There, people have photos
of family and other personal knick-knacks to
personalise their space. At home, the challenge
is to create an environment that enhances work
productivity and helps you focus.Whatever
the size of your work space, dress it for work
by having work materials to hand like a printer,
laptop, post-its or a pin board. De-cluttering
home distractions and adding workplace props
will help to create a more productive working
environment.
Work smart
Understand your work pattern. Doggedly
sitting at your desk until 5pm, just to feel that
you’ve been ‘at work’ for eight hours can be
counterproductive. You’ll know when you’ve hit
that turning point, when you move from being in
the flow of work to simply twiddling your thumbs.
Identify when you are most productive and
achieve optimum results. The beauty of being in
charge of your own work schedule is that you can
set your targets, decide what you need to achieve
for the day, and work towards those goals.
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If you are one of those who finds it hard to
focus when working from home,
Anjula Mutanda has the following advice:
are still very much connected.
Being self-employed can add an extra
challenge. Consider building up a network
with others in a similar position in your
local community or joining a social media
community.
