How to make your home office the right place for getting things done

The amount of people working from home has risen in 2017 to its highest ever. Here are some top technological tips to help you make the most of your home office and maximise productivity.

Use Two Screens

A dual monitor setup is the best thing you can do to improve your home office productivity. Being able to use programs simultaneously means running multiple applications, making the majority of tasks much easier to get through smoothly. Have that important email open to refer back to while you focus on your project, or keep your image optimiser, address book, or even calendar handy on your “spare screen” to make the rest of your to do list easier to handle.

Switch to a Hosted VoIP Phone System

Hosted VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) technology can transform the way you work from home, especially when you are working on a budget. Essentially this is a “virtual” phone system hosted in the cloud – meaning your entire system is on the Internet. Not only are you freeing yourself of painful phone bills, you are given incredibly useful options that you’d never had with a normal phone, including VoIP and CRM integration, limitless call logging and monitoring and the lowest-cost communications than ever possible.

Set Alarms and Stick to Set Hours

Homeworkers have more trouble than anyone else when it comes to procrastinating and keeping a disciplined schedule. You can use your Google Chrome alarm system to keep you in check, or set alarms and reminders on your mobile phone – whichever way you do it, set yourself an 8-hour working day with regular breaks, and finish exactly when you plan to, regardless of what you still need to get done. Finishing at the same time every day will help you to switch back into “home mode” and also increase your productivity during working hours.

For this, and also social media temptations, try using StayFocusd a free Google Chrome extension that allows you to choose how much time you spend on time-wasting sites.

 

Try to Avoid Social Media

This is not as easy as it sounds, but, unless you are a social media manager or journalist without leads, you should be able to dodge the timeless abyss that is Facebook “browsing”. This has a domino effect, affecting your set working hours, concentration levels, and according to some studies, can even lead you to feeling depressed or anxious.

Use a Noise Cancelling Headset

Noise cancellation technology is not always just for a busy working environment, it can also be for your benefit to stay focused on the job. Even if you are not in a loud workspace, the sound is crisper and higher quality, making your communications easier and more comfortable.

Noisy neighbors can be doubly frustrating when you are busy

Working at home will always have the downside of blurring the lines between a ‘work environment’ and being the place you live.

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