As I’ve alluded in my previous posts, I’ve been working from a little while now and thought it would be worth capturing some of the things that I’ve noticed. This is little more than a list, but thought I should share anyway. 

1. Having a proper workspace is key. I soon found that I couldn’t work productively from a dining chair or sat on the sofa. I had to invest in a proper office chair and sort out a permanent desk. I don’t actually need that much floor space, barely 2 square meters, but that’s enough.
2. Discipline is tricky, Working from home it’s easy to get distracted to and go and put some washing on or make another drink. That said, as long as I have a goal to complete, I’m more productive and get stuff done faster.
3. I’ve found music to really quite distracting, anything with a vocal track. Having previously worked in an open-plan office, there was always noise, leading me to invest in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. At home, I find I can’t wear them for very long, and if I do, anything with lyrics is guaranteed to break my concentration.
4. My most productive periods are usually just before lunch, and again just before I collect the kid from nursery.
5. Dress. Working in PJs in not really an option, whilst I don’t got to the extreme of putting on a suit, I do tend to wear shorts and shirt, given that I’m going to be sat down for quite a long period and I don’t have the luxury of air conditioning.
6. Food. Leftovers are a thing of the past. Rather than go and spend £5 a day at the supermarket on lunch, I’m eating whatever is left in the fridge. This can lead to some weird combos.
7. Drink. Well it seems the 2 bottles a day Diet-Coke count is a thing of the past (mainly because I suspect that it’s harder to get hold of). Drinking plenty of tea though.
8. Home life.  Although I can’t exactly shut the door on my office, it’s location in the kid’s playroom (Lego City) means that working with family around is impossible, which is probably better for all. When I am home, I’m able to to spend much more time with the kid than I would have been able to previously.

So, all in a mixed bag, but positive nonetheless.