Are the noises from outside making it hard to concentrate? Is a nearby construction crew messing up your workflow? Well, prepare for blissful silence, because this guide will help you solve your noise problems, and let you get to work in peace and quiet.
Working from home has its ups and downs, but the first thing you should do is make sure that you can work in peace. This can prove difficult for many of us, especially if we’re used to having separate spaces for work and relaxing. With these tips and a bit of time, you’ll get used to working from home in no time.
Dedicate A Specific Area
This one might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s much easier said than done. The idea of working from home means you can be more flexible with where you get your work done. So you can answer emails during breakfast, and type up reports with the TV on, right? Not quite.
Just because you aren’t in a personal cubicle, doesn’t mean you can work just anywhere. For a more peaceful work-from-home experience, claim a specific room to be your dedicated working area.
It’s true that not everyone has a spare guest room that they can turn into a home office. That’s alright. If space is a concern for you, find a corner in one of your rooms that people rarely go to. Bonus points if it’s a quiet corner.
Soundproof Your Workspace
Some people work best when they’re listening to their favorite music. That’s good for productivity. But you probably won’t have a good time working with the sound of honking cars and barking dogs disrupting your concentration.
Now, you can’t move your house away from the noise, but you can reduce how much of the noise gets into your room. There are several methods you can use to soundproof your working area. One of the simplest is by installing soundproof curtains. If this easy noise-reducing method interests you, you can check out more soundproofing curtains here.
Apart from getting soundproof curtains, you can also place a door sweep at the bottom of your door, and place window strips on the windows. The main idea here is to turn your room into an oasis of quiet. The less noise you hear from the outside world, the better.
Fix Your Lighting
The lighting in a room can help put you in the right mental state. If your home office is not well-lit, it might be affecting how well you can work.
To counter this, try prioritizing natural lighting. If your room has windows, arrange the space so that you can take better advantage of the sun during daylight hours. Make sure that the majority of the sunlight comes from behind you, or to your side. If it hits you right in the face, you’ll be too busy squinting at the sun to work properly.
If your office doesn’t have any windows, you can simulate natural light using warm white light bulbs, to bring a softer color to your work space.
Reduce Interruptions
Working from home means you can spend more time with your family and pets, but sometimes they can get in the way of your workflow. If your pet walks in and demands to be cuddled all the time, it’s much easier to get distracted and spend time with your furry friend at home, than it is in the office. The same goes for any relatives who might pop in and ask you questions.
Your work still requires concentration, even if you’re not at the office. Let your family members or housemates know that you are not to be disturbed during work hours, except in cases of emergency.
You might have lighter work days every now and then, but that still doesn’t mean your relatives can disturb you during work hours! Of course, this also means that once you’re “off the clock,” they can visit you for a chat or just to hang out.
Decorate Your Home Office
This might sound like the opposite of the tip below, but it’s actually quite different. To help you stay cool and avoid the humdrum routine of work, you can set up a few items in your work space to cheer you up.
If you’ve been a little tense because of constant meetings, then you can keep a stress ball by your station to help keep the pressure off. A low-maintenance office plant like a succulent can also go a long way, by adding color to your room.
Clean Up Your Desk
A messy desk is a distraction waiting to happen. It’s bound to make you stop and think, “I could be working much better if I had a cleaner work area. I should take a break and fix this.” To counter this before it begins, get in the habit of keeping your desk clean at all times.
This doesn’t mean having a completely empty desk. Keep any folders and files you need within reach for easy access, and keep a space for any knick knacks you have that help calm you down, or improve your mental well-being.
Keep A Consistent Work Schedule
Your concentration might be affected during work, because you’re not used to the flexible time arrangement yet. Removing the routine of leaving the house, and moving into the office can cause people to lose track of their time.
You can avoid this by tracking your time as if you were still reporting to the office. Make sure to wake up at the same time everyday, as well as begin and end your working hours regularly. This will also help preserve your work-and-life-balance, too.
Working from home is a tough new challenge if you’re not used to it, and there are many distractions and interruptions that can affect your workflow. Follow these tips to make your home office an inspiring, productive island of quiet, no matter what noise is going on outside.