If you work from home then having some organization can save you time and stress. It is important to be aware of the applications that you need to do and the time that you need to work.

The most important part

For me the most important part of my home office is my diary, it tells me what I need to do and when. It is important that you are aware of any deadlines and any schedules that you need to keep.

I use my diary to list the days jobs that I need to do. This makes me go through all the jobs that I have and it highlights those items that need completing each day.

But I also use this diary for my personal items. It serves as a reminder of the other non-work related jobs that I need to attend to.

The desk

There are some people that need to have their own desk. I am one of those people. It means that I am aware of where items are that I need and I am not being disturbed. But I am flexible; if the need arises, I am able to pick up my laptop and moved to another location.

Standing desks are becoming popular in the work place and many people who work from home are starting to see the benefits. But for me, I like to sit down and write, I am not comfortable standing for long periods of time.

Time

It is important that you aware of the length of time that you are working. It can be easy to become distracted if others are disturbing you, but also it can be time consuming. I have often sat there working for 3 hours without realising how much time has passed.

It is important that you are able to take regular breaks; it will mean that you are able to work more effectively. It will make you focused on the job in hand, and not side-tracked on other items, like social media sites.

Organization

This aspect is going to be your most important area to get right.  If you are organized whilst you are working and have places to store items when you are finished, it will be less time consuming in the long run than trying to find an object or an important document when you are short of time.

If everything has a place, then you will be able to find items as well as put the items away, when you have finished with them. It will make it less cluttered. Working from home can sometimes mean making do with small spaces and this is why it is important that you are versatile and able to adapt.

Working

If you have opted to work from home when you have young children, it can be difficult to sit and work. You need to be able to balance working from home and still spending time with your children. They are not going to be happy to have to entertain themselves and to be quiet for hours on end, whilst you are working. It might mean that you will need to be flexible with your time about when you are able to work. This isn’t easy but with practice it is possible. Whilst a child is young, nap time is a great opportunity to work, but you have to be prepared for those days when they just don’t want to sleep.

Working in the evening can be a great way to be at home with your children whilst working. But, be warned it can get very tiring too. If you are busy all day with your children and then spend the evening working, it can make for a very long day. Also, in the evening you may need to organize your time to allow you to spend time with a loved one.

But, when the day goes as planned and you have managed to do all the tasks relating to work and family life, it does make it worth-while.