Whether you’re interested in becoming a digital nomad or would just like to work from your home office, having the freedom to cut out the daily commute saves enough time and money that it pays for itself. Even though you’ll need a laptop and a few other essentials, you’re still likely to cover them with the cost savings. Once acting as a remote worker from home, going out traveling as a digital nomad is the next step if you wish to do so, but it’s not essential.

Here are some things to do when planning to start working from home.

Create a Separate Office

While it might seem like a good idea to section of part of the living room to place your desk and chair, the reality is that you’re going to get too distracted to focus properly. Whether it’s your partner or your kids doing the distracting or the TV behind the desk beckoning you to check the latest sports scores or news headlines (or reality TV series), not isolating yourself is a mistake.

Creating a private work space, however small, is essential to being left alone to focus. If you have a partner who takes care of the kids as a full-time mom, you’ll need a new arrangement with a clear separation of parental duties. Do this before you begin working from home so there’s no misunderstanding. Find out more about working from home at utahpeoplespost.com which has business articles and articles about being a digital nomad too.

Get the Right Equipment

You need a computer that’s reliable. It doesn’t need to be state-of-the-art and can even be purchased second-hand from eBay or Craigslist, but it must be fully functional. Bear in mind that if your PC breaks down and you produce work that relies on having a functioning computer, then you’ve lost your most essential tool. Even if you already have a PC, consider buying a second-hand model as an emergency backup in case your primary PC decides to die on you unexpectedly and must go in for repairs.

Is Your Chair Comfortable?

You sit in your chair 4-8 hours a day, so it’s important that it’s comfortable. If it’s giving your backache or you’ve had that issue at an office recently, then you’ll need to invest in a pre-tested office chair that provides enough lower lumbar back support and a headrest to support your neck too. The last thing you want is to be stuck sitting on a chair that gives you pain throughout the day as that’s terribly distracting and detrimental to your productivity.

Create Set Working Hours

Trying to work too many hours doesn’t usually help with quality and productivity. If you look at your output, you’ll find that beyond 5-6 hours, you’re treading water. Indeed, most office workers in the US might be at work an average of 8.5 hours a day but produce as little as 3-3.5 hours of productive work during that time. The rest of their work day is spent on social media, email, in meetings, on breaks and other non-core work activities.

Set yourself up right when you’re planning to work from home to avoid the main pitfalls. When you start the proper way, you’re far more likely to be successful and profitable too.