You may kind of look at your home business as a ‘hobby’ because you already work a full-time job. However if you don’t want to waste your precious time there are some things that you can do to ‘train’ yourself to get and stay serious. The home office environment can be one that is more relaxed and comfortable than a regular job. However you are accountable to create a business atmosphere during the hours you are working.
Maintaining a professional space starts with having a clearly delineated area that is only your office. Even if this means only a desk in the corner of another room, that space should be used exclusively for business. It should be organized and neat at at least two points in your work day – the start and end. The less time you spend shuffling through a pile of paper to find something the more time you have to both be productive and to relax when you are done.
It is very important that your home office space is healthy. This means for one thing, well-lit. It has been proven that people are more productive and positive with bright lighting. If at all possible to have windows open then you also have air, which has been proven to be necessary for all life. Get some whenever you can. You also need good, indirect light for your work area.
Your eyes are under a strain especially if your home business is a second ‘job’. Be sure to look away from your computer to something as far away as you can at least once every hour or so to decrease the strain on your eyes and corresponding muscles from focusing on one small area too long.
Be sure to have your eyes checked often. If you need glasses for the computer or reading, get them and wear them. Having tinted lenses really helps with the burning glare of the computer screen and florescent lights. Having less eye-strain will make your work easier.
Seriously, there are conditions of the eye that are completely controllable if not curable – but only if you catch them in time. You only have two eyes and you need both of them ideally. So treat them as a precious gift.
Another thing that can cause you to be distracted and less focused, is not having the correct chair. Be sure your chair arms line up directly with your keyboard and mouse. Your arm should not be down or up – straight forward and flat is the best way not to put pressure on your wrists. If you don’t have a footstool, you can use a phone book because lifting your feet slightly puts less strain on your lower back from sitting for hours on end.
You may take all these things for granted and believe they are not important; but the most important element of building anything is the foundation. You want to start with good habits and make sure you are taking care of the boss (you) so that everything runs smoothly and successfully. These things don’t always come naturally, but need to be cultivated.
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