I became a work at home mum nearly 11 years ago now and I absolutely love it. I love the freedom that I have to drop off and pick the children up from school everyday. I have no one to ask if I want to go to an assembly or if one of them is sick and needs to come home from school. I also get to potter about the house on quieter work days, making sure that all the cleaning and housework is up to date which makes me happy!
Depending upon what you are doing working from home, there are some things that you will need to set up a decent work environment. I think if you have everything set up and ready to go you are much more productive than finding out halfway through the day that you don't have something that you need. So I thought I would share with you some of my must have's to set yourself up right for the work at home environment.
A Defined Work Space
I'm lucky enough that I have a room now that I use as a home office but I haven't always had this space. Somewhere defined as your work area is ideal though, and better than setting up shop at the kitchen table. If you can squeeze a desk onto a landing or into a bedroom or reception room that would be great, as it can be your own defined space where you go to work. You'll be amazed just how much more productive it will make you to have your own workspace.
A Computer
I imagine that a computer is essential for most home working situations. If you are employed your employer might provide you with one that you can use at home, if you are self employed then this is likely going to be a large part of your set up costs. Depending upon what type of work you do, you might find that you need a printer, for printing invoices, packaging slips, or documentation that you need to keep on a paper file.
Stationery
I am always happy when I have lots of pretty and practical stationery around me, it makes me more motivated! I write to do lists and plan and schedule in a paper format so I like to have some good quality paper and pens to hand. I find post it notes really useful to put in my diary (so I can move them around if necessary) and I always have a stapler and stash of paperclips to hand for filing away important documents. I have a desk planner which I refer to every day too so I know what I have to do every day.
Drawers
I have a great little set of drawers that fit under my desk and they are great for hiding away clutter and filing away important papers. I always think it is nice to have a clear workspace and keeping things put away will help with that. It's also really useful for knowing where all my work documents are like invoices for tax returns.
Drinks and Snacks
I always like to keep some water on my desk and some healthy snacks to hand. I find that if I get hungry when I'm working it can be quite distracting and I'll use up time wandering down to the kitchen to make something to eat. If I have something healthy to hand I'm less likely to wander off!
So if you are about to embark upon a work at home journey or you already do but were looking for something to make you more productive I hope that you found this post useful! Feel free to share it with your friends using the social share buttons on the left or Pin it for later using the image below.
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