Tips on Managing Time While Working in a Home Office

Next to missing commuting traffic, the best part of working from home is the luxury of working on your own time. This is a benefit that allows people who work in a home office spend more time with their families and pursue their own interests. However, it also open up an opportunity for procrastination and decreased productivity.

This is because the number one mistake people make when working at home is not setting ground rules for themselves and their families about their work time. Luckily, there are many steps at-homers can take to ensure they maximize work and their personal lives while working from home. These steps include getting into a routine, planning for a week in advance, and managing the family’s expectations. For tips on how to move your business to working at home, check out Working at Home - Part 1: Geting Your Boss to Approve Working From Home.

Many leave the office to work from home because the monotony of a daily routine is frustrating and doesn’t fit with their lifestyle. However, if you are just starting to work from home, it is recommended that you initially create a work routine for yourself so you don’t succumb to the temptations of procrastination. After you are established at home, you can gradually wean yourself off the routine.

To create a routine that works best for you and maximizes both your personal and professional time, start by making a list of common activities or chores you need to accomplish during your average day and how long it will take to complete them. Next, estimate of how many hours of work you have per day. Finally, consider how much time per day you would like to spend with your family and friends. Using these three categories, begin filling in your day based around the most beneficial model for you, including a wake-up time and projected bed-time. Remember that since you are working on your own time, you can break up your work into small chunks of time and spread them throughout your day, however it is recommended you keep the chunks at least 1.5 hours for maximized productivity. Write your schedule down and post it near your at-home workspace as a reminder. For help setting up your workspace, check out Working at Home - Part 2: Making a Home Office Space.

Follow your routine for one week and see how it fits with your work and personal obligations. Are you getting all your work done in a comfortable time frame? Do you feel stressed, or like you aren’t giving one area of your life enough attention? If you need to adjust your schedule, feel free to do so. Just be sure you hang a revised copy where you can see it.