There are more people working from home than ever before. This is a trend that had already emerged before the pandemic. However, because of the social distancing rules and regulations that have been implemented, more people are now working from home than there ever has been. If you are working from home for the first time, it can take a little bit of getting used to. A lot of people assume that working from home is going to be easy but it is rarely that simple. After all, it can be difficult to get the motivation that you need when you are working from home and you can often feel like you are disconnected from the people that you work with, so it is not all roses like a lot of people assume. Considering that, we have put together this blog post to give you a collection of tips that will give you a helping hand.

Make sure that you have fast and reliable Internet if you are working from home

There is no denying that being able to work productively is the key to maximising profit and performing well in the workplace. When this workplace is your home, it can become even more difficult. After all, there are more distractions in the home and you don’t have all of the useful technology that you would have in a working environment. Nevertheless, there are some things you can get your hands on, and 4G definitely falls into this category. In this blog post, we will reveal everything you need to know.

In today’s connected world, where companies rely on technology to thrive, every business needs 4G, including those who work from home. 4G is the next step in the evolution of mobile data. It provides network speeds that are at least ten times faster than current 3G network speeds, enabling you to work harder and achieve more in a shorter space of time.

This means that you can benefit from:

– Large file transfers at fast speeds
– Remote access to business applications
– Rich media collaboration, with telepresence and video conferencing made easy
– Rich remote monitoring and machine-to-machine applications
– Rapid workplace set-up

Because of this, 4G can give you the leverage to achieve the following:

– More flexibility and agility
o You will be in a better position to respond to changes or opportunities due to rapid access to data and people.

– Better decision-making
o 4G fosters improved collaboration and interaction, enabling you to make better decisions.

– Increased motivation
o Your motivation will receive a huge boost due to application functionality improving, as well as more successful remote working and time waste is reduced.

– Direct cost reductions
o 4G can reduce business expenditure in a number of different ways, including lowering travel costs, saving your business office space due to increased reliance on teleworking, and saving your business money in terms of fixed-line installation costs and telecoms equipment.

– Be more productive in all ways, from process efficiency to team productivity
o Rich mobile applications will transform productivity in terms of process effectiveness and efficiency, management innovation and effectiveness, and personal and team productivity. You can use the likes of Foix and other programs more effectively too.

– Improve services and products
o You can improve your products and services in a number of ways with 4G. This includes improving the quality of the service you provide via faster access to media content or information, as well as including enhanced mobile functionality in your products.

– Increase sales
o All of this comes together to increase the level of sales you make. You can use rich media to enhance your sales meetings as well.

– Improve customer service
o By being more responsive to customers, including when you are out of the office, you will boost your customer service considerably.

How can you get motivation if you are struggling?

One thing that a lot of people struggle with when they are working from home is motivation. When you are finding it difficult to work from home, you need to try and pinpoint what the problem is. For example, do you find that you are often distracted by the likes of the television and other family members? If this is the case, you need to create a separate working area, such as an office, i.e. any space that is going to be dedicated to work and work alone. We have seen a lot of people build garden offices over the past 12 months because they have not had the space within their home to dedicate a full room to a fresh office. A garden office can be very effective because you are separating yourself from the rest of the home and this makes it feel like you are going to work every day.

Aside from this, you need to make sure that you take regular breaks and put your health first. One of the most difficult things about working from home is finding that work/life balance. A lot of people find that they end up working more than they usually would because they cannot separate their work from their home environment. Therefore, it is important to put together a schedule and make sure you take breaks on a regular basis so that you can keep your brain refreshed and you do not end up experiencing any sort of burnout.

It is also important to put your health first. A lot of people fall into bad eating and exercise habits when they work from home. Creating a workout space at home is a good thing to do because this can encourage you to exercise whenever you have a break. This will ensure that you get in that much-needed exercise and movement, as those working from home tend to spend a large portion of their day sitting down and the level of movement can become virtually nothing, which is why you need to make sure that you make changes that will encourage you to exercise every day.

What else can you do to make working from home easier?

Aside from the suggestions that we have mentioned so far, there are a number of other things that you can do to make working from homework for you. As we have briefly touched upon, having a schedule is of the utmost importance. This will help you to know what tasks you need to tackle every day so that you can have a productive day. Do not make the mistake of trying to cram too many tasks to the point whereby you simply won’t be able to tick them all of your to-do list. If you do this, you are only going to set yourself up for failure, which is the last thing that anyone wants. Instead, make sure that the schedule you set for yourself is realistic, giving yourself ample time to tick off everything that you need to do throughout the day.

A lot of people find themselves getting distracted by the likes of social media and their emails when it comes to working from home. If this sounds familiar, it is a good idea to set aside certain times within the day to respond to emails and to check your social media. You should also turn your notifications off so that you do not receive a notification whenever you receive a new email or another message on social media. When this happens, you can easily end up being distracted and tempted to check the message straight away.

The final piece of advice that we have for you is regarding keeping communication open and fluid with others that you are working with. Whether it is members of your team that are fairly local or remote workers in other countries, you need to ensure that you can collaborate efficiently and effectively even though you are living in different countries. There are so many different tools and methods of communication that you can use today. This includes everything from instant messaging platforms to video conferencing. One of the keys is making sure that you use the most appropriate method of communication depending on what you need to discuss. For example, if you simply need to have a quick catch up, there is no need to schedule a video conference. You can simply ask for a status update from the person in question.

To conclude, there is a lot that you need to consider when you are working from the comfort of your own home. More people are working from home today than ever before, and so it is imperative that you take the time to design a home environment that works for you. Remember, it is not just about making sure that you have the perfect environment to work but it is also about making sure that you look after yourself and that you take the time to relax too. Finding ways to separate your home environment and your work environment is of the utmost importance.