Many people think that working from home is just like the most inspirational, comfy situation one can be in. Flexi-timings, a cuppa’ coffee on a balcony with a view (as you type), and working on projects you’re really passionate about. But as they say, the grass is always greener on the other side. Multitasking while sitting in your cubicle is all about work, but multitasking at home means you’re also handling your home chores! Yup, there are tons of unwanted distractions. Yet, with millions of startups adding up to the list of designers, copywriters and consultants, there are more people working from home than ever before.
Being in the design field you’re either on site or working on your computer, which means you don’t really need a commercial space for an office unless you have a stable staff of junior designers working for you. Which means, you’ll be working out of a little nook in your house – your informal home office.
To help you thrive in your work-from-home situation, this week we get you Merril Diniz, a fierce Goan gal working in the big city, to shares her own experiences of being an indie professional. Here are her 4 tips for people who work from home.
Pic courtesy: ikeeki.com
Dress up:
I know how comfy it sounds to wake up, make your masala chai, get your laptop and work from your bed, right? Well not really, Merril would take a shower, have a power-packed breakfast and start her work, feeling all fresh. Surely her hair would be less blowdried than the average office-going gal, but yes, dressing up for work aka getting out of those PJs, makes a huge difference.
Pic courtesy: ikeeki.com
Get yourself a date:
Now this is not about calling someone over but more about being planned for your upcoming deadlines. Being in a regular office scenario we have our boss or the manager calling, emailing or messaging about the upcoming deadlines, but here working from home, you are as professional as you plan yourself to be. Having an organiser surely helps wether as a calender on a pin up board where you write down your notes as per the date or like Merril, who got the right app that will keep all your gadgets in sync and with those notifications that pop-up in the nick of time. We can’t all be like Karl Lagerfeld who hates a “Things to do list” and works on intuition.
Pic courtesy: sheknows.com
Your own corner:
Merril seemed quite determined about having her own working nook at home. She believes that even though having a great wifi means you can it anywhere you please, identifying your own designated corner for work, gets you into work mode faster. It’s also a great way to signal to your family that it’s work time. For her it was near the window with a view that helped her get her work mojo on!
Pic courtesy: i.hanni.me
Go out:
Sometimes it might get a little too much – living, eating, sleeping and working – all in the same space, everyday. Don’t get overwhelmed and head out. Merril would hop over to her fav cafe, which had great wifi, and a neat ambience, for some inspiration. Also busting out of your routine to attend industry events, seminars and workshops is a great way to stay connected, network and learn new stuff. The best part is, so many of them are free! And don’t forget co-working spaces and coffee shops, which come with perks of their own. Merril told me a story about how she once scored a client, when someone on the next table casually struck up a conversation after he overheard her talking on the phone (to another client) about a story she was working on. Bingo!
Your work place is as important as your work, cause the vibes do matter. Hoping these tips will surely help you in being more focused and less stressed, specially to the younger lot. In the end we thank Merril for her inputs and you can follow her on her twitter handle @merrild. Do follow us on our Instagram page for more home office inspiration this week or like us on our Facebook page for more interesting ideas. Until then, have a great week ahead!
