Many people who’ve been used to working in an office environment are now suddenly finding themselves working remotely. How to work from home effectively?
How can you make the transition smoothly? What are some tips to work from home efficiently and productively? I’ve been working from home for the past 15 years so I’m offering my tips on working from home.
How to Work From Home Effectively
Create a dedicated working space.
While it may be tempting to work from the comforts of your bed, it would help productivity to have a dedicated working space. A home office is ideal, or even an area set up in a part of a room, for example, a desk by your living room window will suffice. If you don’t have a home office, create a space at your kitchen or dining table that you can leave undisturbed when you’re not working.
Get up and stretch.
Because of my back issues, I must get up and stretch often, about every hour or so regardless of what I’m doing. When I’m working, I tend to switch work positions – I go from sitting at my desk to working from my standing desk, to working on my couch. During that stretch time, I’m always sure to grab another cup of coffee too!
Get dressed.
While it may be tempting to stay in your pyjamas all day, you will feel better by sticking to your usual morning routine of getting washed up and dressed in the morning. Obviously there’s no need to dress in business attire! But getting out of your PJs and slipping into clothes will help you feel more refreshed and ready to start your day.
Stick to your regular working hours.
Avoid burnout by sticking to a regular work schedule. While it may be tempting to check your emails after hours or early in the day, work will inevitably take over. Start at a proper workday time, and finish off at a reasonable hour. Don’t forget to take your lunch break as you would in the office. I like to use my lunch break to exercise. Working with a structured schedule will keep you motivated and productive. But…
Don’t worry if you don’t stick to a strict schedule all the time.
One of the benefits of working from home is flexibility, and there will be days when you sometimes you need to work later or in the evening or start early to accommodate a colleague’s time zone, personal appointments or your children’s schedule. Be gentle with yourself knowing that some days will require more work than others but that the number of hours of work will even out over the course of the week.
Keep the TV off.
You may be able to multi-task but don’t think that means you can put the television or Netflix on! You will likely end up being distracted thus leading to less productivity. Stick to your usual radio station or playlist as background music.
Stay in touch by phone or video call.
Working from home can be incredibly isolating! You’ll miss collaborating with a team, chatting with co-workers and simply being around other people. It’s important to stay in touch with your colleagues by phone or better yet, video conferencing.
Take a mental health break.
Working from home means that there is no separation of work space and home space. You’ll need a change of scenery and some fresh air often! Read through this article to help keep your mental health in check.
If you’re working from home with kids? Here are some additional tips to keep them busy while you work.
Here are 50 Fun Activities to do with Kids at Home.
I hope these tips on how to work from home effectively will benefit you!
