If you have been working from home for a long time, you’re lucky. For everyone else, the absence of an office can be a real challenge. Inability to organize yourself, low efficiency, overwork or underwork. These problems await every beginner in this difficult business. Do you want to organize your home office like a true professional? These rules will help you.

Furnishing 

Not everyone can afford to have a separate room for an office, so usually the kitchen, bedroom, or living room becomes a place for work. To get in the right, create the right environment that will meet your needs and habits. Let’s say you’re a family person and you often get work-related calls. Then choose a place where you can have some privacy.

Your minimum is a desk and computer, and you’ll need stands and organizers if you have a lot of papers. Think about what other details will make your work more comfortable, whether it’s a footstool or a desk lamp, if you are used to using them in the office. Get creative in decorating your workspace by adding your favorite photos or a small plant.

Remember that the chosen place is for work only. You should not read there, fill out bills, or do homework with your child. It will help to intelligently separate the living area from the working one. By the way, the same applies to your computer. If there is a separate PC, it is much better. If you have only one, then it makes sense to have a separate account to work.

Clothing 

The temptation to spend the day in pajamas is sometimes great, but you should not give in to it. Getting in the mood for the start of the day helps with important morning rituals like coffee, showers, and a change of clothes. That doesn’t mean you have to spend all day in a suit, even if you usually wear it to the office. Choose a reasonable compromise between comfort and elegance. Perhaps the most obvious option here is jeans with a t-shirt. By the way, your favorite perfume wouldn’t go amiss either.

Schedule 

The schedule will help to draw a clear line between work and personal life. The only thing is to make it and stick to it. A day planner will help, as will various time-management apps, such as Rescue Time and Sectograph. They help you keep track of whether you’re sticking to a schedule and when you’re most productive. This will help you allocate time and tasks according to difficulty.

You should use your working time for its intended purpose. All household chores should be planned for early morning or evening, as a warm-up after a whole day at the computer. For the same reason, you should start and finish the working day at a designated time. Use your work email and chats only during the designated hours.

Distractions 

If work requires increased attention and concentration, it is worth limiting all external irritants, such as the fridge, social networks and non-work calls. If you do not live alone, it is worth immediately discussing with your flatmates your daily routine. The same applies to relatives and friends who are eager to talk to you in the middle of the workday.

Breaks

It may seem that the habit of taking breaks contradicts the idea of productivity, but it is not so. There are two main things that are important: duration and frequency. Take five-minute breaks every half hour and 15-minute breaks every two hours. This time should be spent away from the phone and laptop screen. It is better to devote it to a little physical activity. If there is a balcony, go out for some fresh air. A separate moment is the lunch break. It can last from 30 minutes to an hour.

Multitasking

The home environment helps to concentrate better. But do not overestimate your strength and burden yourself with ten things at once. Scientists proved a long time ago that multitasking is a myth. A man can do only one thing fast and well. Let it become your professional motto once and for all.