How to conquer working from home

In light of recent events, a lot of us who are able to, are now working from home. Whether you’re set up in your home office, or re-purposing the living room from 9am-5pm, working from home is different for everyone and comes with its own pros and cons. So, we’ve pulled together our best tips on how you can feel comfortable but stay productive whilst working or running your business from home.

Routine

We’re all creatures of habit and for the majority of people who would usually work in an office, it’s likely you have a routine of some sort, which might include just you or the whole family! Working from home shouldn’t be any different when it comes to this. Set an alarm, have a shower (this does wonders to help wake you up) and have some breakfast. Doing those three simple things before sitting down at your desk can really help you start your day off right. Writing yourself a to-do list is great way to kick the day off giving you the space to focus on certain tasks, and it’s always good motivation to complete the list before the end of the working day. Setting an end to your day is also important, rather than working into the night.

Workspace

Being away from your ‘natural’ workspace in your office can be hard at first. But if you can create one at home, it’ll help avoid distractions and increase concentration. Make sure the area you use is clean and organised. The idea of sitting in your bed is a nice one, but it’d be very difficult to replicate the work ethic that you may have sitting at a desk. If you use an external monitor at work, why not try and hook up one of your TVs to your computer. The closer you have to your office workspace, the better.

Breaks

It’s important to take regular breaks throughout the day. Being able to take your mind off work for a few minutes whilst you make a cup of tea or coffee can really help you recharge.

Exercise

Heading out to stretch your legs with a quick walk, run or cycle at lunch is great for the mind and body (while keeping up social distancing, of course). Getting some fresh air in your lungs can make a surprising difference, and even just getting outside can help with any mental blocks you’re having on a certain piece of work.

Stay connected  

Video conferencing has become popular in recent years and being able to use it at home will help with keeping team spirits high, having a solid line of communication and sometimes even just seeing a familiar face can perk up your day. Software such as Skype, Zoom and Microsoft Teams are popular, and they all offer corporate packages if you’re a business and looking to onboard video conferencing.

Staying connected with your workmates is really important too. If you’re sending someone a lot of emails, it might be worth scheduling a one to one video call – that way you can address everything in one go and have a bit of a chinwag.

Top tip: Try and schedule a weekly video call for a fun activity like a quick quiz with your team, it’s a great way to unwind and check in on how everyone is doing during these times.

It’s important to look after yourself and those around you, and we hope that the five tips that we picked out will help you toward creating a better environment working from home.

This content was created on 8th April 2020