5 Work From Home Best Practices

Diving headfirst into the world of working from home? You’re certainly not alone. Across the globe, millions of citizens are adapting to a work from home environment for the first time ever. Unfortunately, navigating these uncharted waters often comes with a steep learning curve. How can you stay productive in an environment you typically associate with rest and relaxation? Well, it isn’t going to happen overnight.

Luckily, you can adapt in time by simply utilizing work from home best practices and engaging technologies like text-to-speech and voice generators. These things will help you to align yourself with your new environment while still maintaining that work/life balance you seek. Let’s examine 5 work from home best practices and how they can help you adjust to this crazy new world.

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1. Stick To A Set Schedule

People tend to get into trouble when working from home if they simply choose to go rogue. Here’s the thing, just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean you have the freedom to do whatever you want. Set a schedule right away and stick to that schedule as often as you can. Having clear parameters of work/downtime is essential in maintaining balance and still accomplishing your daily goals. Without a schedule, you’ll probably find yourself slipping away into the world of Facebook or Googling cat videos on YouTube. Fun, but not exactly productive.

2. Multi-Task With Text-To-Speech

In a work from home environment, technology is the co-worker who simply outshines the competition.  Sure, Zoom is fun, but have you tried multi-tasking with text-to-speech? One of the joys of working from home is more freedom to get your work done as you choose while tackling other daily tasks like working out.

By simply using text to speech online, you can download Mp3s of work memos, long emails, drawn-out proposals, and any kind of documentation you would typically be stuck at your desk reading. Once you have a text-to-speech download, you can listen and work while working out, driving, or simply catching up on laundry. That’s work-life balance at its best.

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3. Make Time For Scheduled Breaks

While some people struggle with being productive while working from home, others struggle with knowing when to take breaks and get a reprieve from the workload. In a true work environment, breaks are scheduled for you. Often, you know exactly when you’ll take lunch or get a 15 minutes headspace. At home, that’s all a bit more unclear.

Schedule breaks into your day before you get started. Write down exactly when you plan to take lunch or step away for a few breathers. Not only does this allow those you’re working with to know your schedule ahead of time, but it gives you something to look forward to and breaks up the day in a logical way.

4. Maintain a Dedicated Work Space

We get it, not everyone can have a spacious home office worthy of a tour on Architectural Digest. Yet, anyone can clear out a simple space that is dedicated to working, even if it is just a corner of the kitchen. Even if you’re planning on doing plenty of multi-tasking with text-to-speech, you can still have a space that establishes that now it is time to work.

Try not to use this space for anything other than work or getting projects done during your time working from home. Keep it organized and as much like a regular work-space as you can. If you have a home office, you’re at an advantage. If you don’t, there are plenty of ways to create that space for yourself.

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5. Go For A Second Phone Number

We’re not telling you to go out and get a landline or a second mobile phone. But a second phone number that can be used for work-based calls is ideal. To do so, simply use a free service such as Google Voice. Having colleagues or work clients call your cell phone can feel like an invasion of your sacred private space.

Not only do those clients now have access to you at all hours of the day, but they’re keyed into an aspect of your home life most shouldn’t be. By having a separate phone number, you can maintain that distance and achieve a balance that makes sense.

The Takeaway

Dipping a toe into the waters of work from home can be both exciting and a little scary, especially if you’ve never done so before or are still struggling to acclimate after a few months. With these best practices in mind and a little help from technology, you can lean into your new role and learn to love your environment all over again.