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One of the most difficult issues you face if you work from home is ensuring that you are not distracted and can concentrate on achieving a full day's work. You need to find strategies that you can put in place to help ensure that you are successful. There are three main areas to concentrate on, working environment, time management and state of mind. There are some simple things that you can do which will help.

a) Define your work space. Find a quiet part of the house, if possible, and set up the room as a working space. It is fairly straightforward now to be able to get a second landline number that you can use solely for work purposes (this may also help with claiming calls against income for tax purposes). Others in your household should be told to respect that space as a work environment, particularly if they will be around when you are working. Close the door behind you when you enter your work area to shut out the rest of your home, this will help you identify the room as your work environment and it will help you to think of yourself at work.

b) Define your work hours. Establish a routine where your work day is at predictable times. Try to separate your work time from your free time. People are creatures of habit and generally benefit from having a steady routine. If you can establish certain times as work periods on a regular basis it will help you keep the pressures of family life away from your working day. If you are going to complete household chores during the day, don't start any chores before you start work that will require attention during your work period. The worst for me was to load and start the washing machine before I started work only to interrupt my day to empty and hang out the wet clothes.

c) Wear work clothes. If you are dressed for work, it will help put you in the right frame of mind to work. You do not need to wear a uniform or full business suit, but you should dress in something appropriate for a working environment. This will help to reinforce that you are in a place of work, even if it is also your home. Also, take the time to keep the space tidy and professional looking. This is where you will be for a significant part of your day and it is too easy to allow the space to become cluttered which in turn will distract you from your endeavors.

Learn more about this author, Stephen H.
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