Working from Home: 4 Ways to Make it Fun

Though there are many benefits to working from home for both employees and companies, it is easy to miss some of the fun that comes from working in a more communal setting. As we wrap up our Working from Home series, we are going to look at some ways to create a job you love while working remotely! 

1. Create a Fun Workspace

Motivate yourself by making your space a place you enjoy. Invest in some comfortable office furniture, put that unique painting up on the wall, or decorate your desk with pictures of your loved ones. The possibilities are endless to make your workspace a place you like spending time in, and you don’t even have to worry about your co-workers’ tastes! 

1. Embrace Flexibility

One of the greatest benefits of some work from home positions is flexible scheduling. Here at Patten Bookkeeping & Consulting, we can set our own schedules within some basic parameters, which allows us to attend to responsibilities with our families, ranches, and communities, along with our work. If your employer and the nature of your work allows, adjust your schedule or location to what works best for you and your business.  

1. Make Time for Face Time 

Even though some people are more introverted and do their best work independently, it is important to make time to interact with colleagues and clients during work, as well as family and friends outside of work. There are many applications that allow you to connect with others through video anywhere you have wi-fi. A couple of our favorites are Zoom and Google Meet. Messaging and email are great tools, but nothing can replace the personal touch that can be communicated through video, or even better, in person. 

1. Know When to Stop

If you have a more sedentary job, it is particularly important to get up and move throughout the day. Try doing a few stretches at your desk or take a walk outside in the sunshine. Grab a healthy snack or a drink of water. Sometimes when you work at home it can be easy to blur the lines between work time and personal time. Once you have completed the tasks or hours you need to do, make sure you step away from work to avoid getting burned out.  

How do you make working from home fun? Let us know in the comments!

—Ashley DeVore, Director of Operations

Join our Facebook group The AgBiz Community to join in on great agribusiness discussions!

Working from Home: 5 Tips for Reducing Distractions

In the last post in our series, we discussed how to be productive when working remotely. Read this post to hear 5 tips for cutting down distractions which is key for productivity. Even if you do not work from home full time, you will still find some information that can help you become more focused in your everyday tasks.  

1.       Close the Door

It sounds obvious, but sometimes the simplest actions can produce the biggest results! Wherever in your home you have set aside as your dedicated workspace, make sure you can close the door to the room to keep yourself focused on the task at hand.

 2.       Organize Your Workspace

When your desk is cluttered, it can be hard to stay focused or find the things you need to complete your work. Even taking a couple minutes at the end of each day to tidy up can make a significant difference. The same principle applies to organizing the workspace on your computer. Develop a system for naming documents and do not fall into the trap of having a ridiculous amount of browser tabs open when they aren’t needed!  

 3.       Turn Off Notifications

Notifications can be helpful (especially for appointment reminders), but they can also interrupt the flow of your work if you get too many. If you already have a habit of regularly checking your email, do you need to hear that sound every time you get a new one? Do you really need alerted every time something happens on social media? Consider where you can cut down on notifications or turn them off altogether.

 4.       Use Time Blocking

Time blocking simply means setting aside certain periods of time within your day, week, or month to work on specific tasks or types of tasks. Rather than jumping from one task to the next, time blocking allows you to plan what you will work on and for how long. It takes a little more preparation up front but keeps you from wasting time wondering what to work on or what your priority should be now. You can even utilize a timer, so you are not distracted by looking at the clock.

 5.       Set Boundaries with Family During Work Hours

Finally, if you work from home, you will need to have some boundaries in place if your spouse or other family members are around during your work hours. Depending on the work you are doing, those boundaries may mean defining certain hours you should not be disturbed, establishing a closed/open door policy to communicate whether it is ok to interrupt, or even creating a sign to hang outside the door. On the note of distractions—try to give your full attention to your family when you are off work so that they do not feel like they are competing with your job.

—Ashley DeVore, Director of Operations

Do you need help getting organized or developing a time blocking system to tackle your workload? Schedule an initial consultation here to learn how our Operations Consulting Services can help improve your business!

Looking to connect with others working in agriculture? Join our Facebook group The AgBiz Community.

Working from Home: How to Be Productive

Many people are working from home these days—whether by personal choice or due to COVID-19 protocols. Our business model at Patten Bookkeeping and Consulting allows our team to primarily work remotely, which is awesome! While working from home has its perks, there are challenges that can come with it as well. This is the first in a series of posts where we hope to address some of those challenges and help you to make the most of your time working from home.

1. Create a Dedicated Workspace

This doesn’t necessarily have to be an office separate from the rest of your house, but having a spot set aside specifically for work helps you stay organized and lets your brain know it is time to get into work mode.

2. Set Working Hours

Keeping a consistent schedule helps you (and potentially your co-workers/clients, if applicable) to know when it is work time and when it is not. It is important to make boundaries with your time since it is harder to “leave work at work” than if you go to work at a traditional office.

3. Identify Your Most Productive Working Time

We are all wired to work the most efficiently at certain times of the day. Understanding that fact can help us be strategic with how we structure our time. Once you have identified your most productive times, try to tackle your most important, difficult, or technical tasks during those hours.

4. Use Technology to Your Advantage

Evaluate what kind of work you are doing and how technology might be able to help you do it more effectively. Would a dual screen setup help you complete your computer tasks more efficiently? Is there is a software program or an app that could make things easier for you?

5. Reduce Distractions

We always have distractions to deal with in every environment, but working from home can have its own unique kind of interruptions and things that attract our attention. Try to reduce distractions to make the most of your work time and be fully present with your family and friends during non-work hours. We will have a future post all about this topic!

6. Take Breaks

Make time for down time throughout your workday. It can be hard to stop working, especially when you feel like there is so much to be done. However, we cannot work to our full capacity if we never take a break. Look away from the screen, take a walk, grab a quick snack—then you can dive back into your work feeling refreshed.

What else has helped you to be productive while working from home? Let us know in the comments!

—Ashley DeVore, Operations Manager

For a place to discuss all things agribusiness, join our Facebook group The AgBiz Community.