Three Steps To Happier Home-working

3rd November 2011

Do you work at home or take your work home with you? You are not alone. In the US almost 50% of workers take their work home. In the UK it's an increasingly popular way of dealing with high levels of workloads.

New technology enables effective home working to take place. New software such as 'Microsoft Office 365' puts office documents online (on the cloud) which lets you access the office from anywhere with an internet connection. From a home laptop or Smartphone you can

email
telephone
instant message
video conference
use an interactive whiteboard
use a wiki
However, working too much is bad for you. Overloading the brain releases stress hormones which increase your appetite for sugar and fat, and decrease your ability to exercise. So watch out for those choccy biscuits!

Another effect of spending your life logged in to work is having less time to spend with loved ones. Research has found that people working more than 50 hours a week expressed the most interference with their private lives.

Sometimes it is necessary or useful to do some homework, but it can become unhealthy. It's all about finding the right balance. This can be done by implementing Expert-Messaging's three simple steps; get more done, set boundaries and switch off.

1) Get more done

Organise all the tasks you need to do at the start of the day.

Give yourself a time scale for each task and allow regular breaks.
Whilst concentrating on a task minimise all potential interruptions; don't check email, phone, social networks etc.
Only check and reply to email after you have completed each task.
When working at home don't get distracted by domestic chores; colour-coding your stamp collection can wait.

2) Set boundaries

To get your work completed quicker create a quiet working area in which you can concentrate.
When working at home remind friends and family that you are in 'the office'. If you don't have a separate "office" at home, set up a clear signal to show when you are available or not. We know someone who works off the dining room table; if her briefcase in on the chair next to her, everyone knows she's "in the office" and should not be disturbed.
When you leave your designated working area, leave all work there.
This sets clear boundaries and prevents home and work life merging.

3) Switch off

According to recent research from Ofcom, 70% of Smartphone users take part in work calls whilst on holiday or annual leave. This demonstrates that it is much harder to switch off from work if you have the technology available to keep you logged in.

When you are not in your designated work area at home - turn OFF your laptop, phone and anything else related to work.
Allow yourself to have this time and space to unwind and spend with loved ones.
Taking these steps will help you work more efficiently, free up time and create clearer home and work boundaries.

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