Staying Positive When You Work From Home
Posted by aonenetworks On October 5, 2012Working from home is a completely different experience than working from an office, and many small business owners and workers are required to do this for some time before they can afford an office. It can be lonely, kind of depressing, and repetitive. You don’t get to drive anywhere, wear a suit, or greet your coworkers over coffee in the morning. The adjustment can be hard to make. Here are a couple of ways you can overcome the negative and focus on what’s beneficial about working from home.
Start Your Morning by Greeting People Cheerfully
If you run a small business, it’s likely you have several social networking profiles. Start your day by visiting them, and greeting the people there with a cheerful hello. Enjoy a cup of tea and talk to some people you would like to catch up with. If you work with other people via the internet, talk to them while you eat your breakfast and catch up on the night’s happenings. It might not be the same as having a meeting face to face, but it’s a great way to socialize – and a good reason to actually get out of bed on time.
Deal with the Distractions One at a Time
Being self-disciplined enough to focus on your work while you’re at home takes a ton of practice. It’s difficult because there are so many distractions, and also because there’s no one hovering over your shoulder, forcing you to do anything. To help yourself focus, work out a productivity schedule that works for you. I work for twenty five minutes on a timer, then take five to myself and do what I want to do. Then I get back to work for another twenty five minutes.
Stay Upbeat and Motivated!
Even if you work from home because you can’t afford an office, or because you were recently laid-off from your full time job, that doesn’t mean that you won’t ever be able to afford an office or you’ll always have to work from home. Find ways to stay upbeat and motivated about your situation. Read motivational quotes, find coffee support groups, make friends and hang out with them on Friday nights.
