The work from home revolution has begun (without much choice) with a huge portion of the world now conducting their work at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures taking place.
For some it has been an easy transition, for others, it’s akin to being placed under house arrest and are counting the days until they can again step back into the office.
What’s guaranteed is that this will open up new doors and opportunities for more flexible working from home capabilities in the future. These 13 actionable work from home tips can be adopted right now to make your workday more enjoyable and productive.
1. Stay Connected
Keeping connected with the outside world and others from your workplace is important. We as a species are highly social creatures and working from home can quickly feel isolating and demotivating.
That’s why it’s so important to stay in the loop and communicate effectively with others so everyone is on the same page and informed about the situation. Here are some software tools you can use to stay connected:
- Skype
- Microsoft Teams
- Google Hangouts
- Slack
- Zoom
2. Stock Up On Healthy Snacks
When you’re always within a stone’s throw from the kitchen the urge to snack can often be insurmountable. Planning ahead and stocking up on healthy snacks such as fruit, veggies and nuts ensures your future self will make better snacking decisions.
It will also keep you feeling healthy, energized, focused and best of all, guilt-free.
3. Build A Permanent Work Space
It’s important to set up a separate space for you to conduct your work. Whether it’s converting a spare room into an office or allocating part of a desk for work activities. Having a designated “work zone” allows you to separate work from play.
It’s well known that being in a certain space can change one’s mindset. It’s also for this reason why you should limit the use of your bed otherwise you may have trouble getting to sleep.
Having a permanent workspace also allows you to easily “switch off” once the workday has concluded. It’s important to separate work and personal time as the two can often become intertwined while working from home.
Try to get in the habit of doing something that signifies the end of the day such as closing the door to your home office or shutting down the computer.
4. Get A Comfortable Chair And Enough Sun
If you’re working from home, usually that means that you’ll be inside most of the day. It can be easy to forget to get enough sun which may cause a deficiency in Vitamin D. This can lead to negative health implications such as frail bones and some possible links pointing at Vitamin D deficiency impacting mood and increasing the risk of depression.
Fortunately for most, to get enough Vitamin D this just means around 5-10 minutes in direct sunlight, so maybe switch up your routine a little bit and enjoy your morning coffee outdoors, or go for a walk sometime in the daytime.
The second point is getting a good chair. If you don’t have an ergonomic office chair at home and you are sitting down most of the day. Do yourself a favour and go out and buy one. Having a good chair has a number of benefits. They’re more comfortable, provide better lumbar and pelvic support for better posture and reducing fatigue. Your back will thank you for it!
Or if you prefer there are many standing desk options now available to help burn off a few extra calories while you work.
I’ve always loved the quote to “Always spend more on the things that separate you from the ground” and chairs are no exception to the rule.
5. Develop A New Morning Routine
Believe it or not but performing the morning ritual puts you into a different mindset. Treating your morning routine as if you were going into the office itself will put you into that “ready for work” state of mind.
That’s not to say you can’t enjoy a little bit more of a sleep in. But doing the same things you would usually do such as a shower, breakfast, cleaning of teeth etc. will help with starting the day with a bang.
6. Use Collaborative Software To Coordinate
There is a myriad of awesome software out there that can help you to collaborate with your work teams and stay organised without seeing one another face to face.
Here are some of my personal favourites you should consider checking out to help you work together with minimal confusions:
- Trello
- Google Docs
- Slack
- Zoom
- Asana
- Dropbox
7. Ditch The PJs
Okay I know, I know. Not everyone is going to like hearing this one. But the old phrase “dress for success” is one of the keys to having a productive day when you’re working from home. An easy way to stay in a procrastinating mood is to remain in your pyjamas.
Dress how you would if you were actually going into work. Not only will this put you into the right frame of mind but it will also help with video meetings and calls you make, appearing more professional and prepared.
8. Enjoy The Perks
You may have not chosen, or even wanted to end up in this situation but that doesn’t mean you miss out on the perks. Working from home gives you back the time you would spend commuting to and from work for the day as well as more flexibility to plan your day.
What does this mean to you? Maybe it’s more time with the family, an opportunity to start a new hobby, fix that leaky tap or tend to the garden that you have been putting off for months.
You can also utilise some of your break time doing things that will save you time later on such as washing or cleaning.
9. Don’t Feel Guilty For Taking Short Breaks
Studies have actually shown that taking breaks can help with your productivity and creativity. You may not be doing the right thing to be skipping those quick breaks that can help your mind reset.
Obviously that doesn’t mean you should be slacking off all day, but sometimes taking a few minutes to take a deep breath, stretch or do some quick exercise will increase the overall productivity of your day.
10. Structure Your Day
With more distractions around the home, it can be easy to fall into the trap of procrastination. Planning out your day beforehand ensures you are hitting goals and allocating your time wisely.
Find what works for you, whether it’s listing things out in a notebook, putting things in your calendar or using software on your phone or computer to stay organised.
11. Set Boundaries
Each person is going to have a different situation at home. Whether it’s kids, partners, pets or relatives.
It’s important to let others in the home know what the situation is and set clear boundaries while you are working. For example, limiting the amount of interaction they have with you throughout the day or putting a notice on the door that shows that you are in a meeting or on a call and do not wish to be disturbed.
This funny video taken from a BBC News interview shows exactly why it’s important to have clear boundaries while working from home.
12. Find Your Focus Zone
We have all been in that “flow state” where everything seems to come with ease and the perception of time is lost. It’s where you want to be while you’re working.
Fortunately, working from home gives you more control over your surroundings allowing you to tailor your space to more easily achieve this state.
You’ll need to experiment and find what works best for you but this can include things such as:
- listening to music
- noise-cancelling headphones
- pleasant scents
- having a neat desk
- strategic caffeine
- staying hydrated
- avoiding distractions
Make the Most Out Of Working From Home
Working from home can be very rewarding and also very challenging at times. Having the right mindset, gear and plan will ensure you are still acting professionally and also, more importantly, remaining happy, healthy and motivated.
These tips are guaranteed to help with the work from home switch up and they can all be done right now.