If you’re used to working in an office, you’re used to a relatively distraction-free environment, in comparison to working from home. Sure, the office is teeming with phones ringing, other workers tapping away on keyboards, and a constant hum of quiet chatter, but most of these noises are work-related so it’s easy to get in the zone (that and your supervisor is never too far away). Compare this to your home environment; there’s a pile of clothes that need to be ironed, family members/housemates/children to hang out with, pets to play with, unobstructed access to your “to-watch” list on Netflix, and no one looking over your shoulder as you scroll your Instagram feed for the hundredth time. When you look at it like this, it’s very easy to see why you might be finding it difficult to get in the zone whilst working from home.
The most effective of working from home tips, firstly, would be to emulate your work environment, at home. Set up your home office in a room with no distractions and a door, if you can. A spare bedroom would be ideal as you won’t be disturbed by other people walking through your space. Of course, this isn’t achievable for everyone, so try to set yourself in a corner of a quiet room, preferably one that other people will not need access to throughout the workday and preferably one without a tv. Get yourself a speaker or headphones and pop on a neutral, non-distracting playlist- this will help drown out background noise. There are plenty of “work from home” playlists online – try to pick a motivational one or a background noise style one. If you can, try to get an ergonomic office chair for your new home office. There are plenty of options to suit all budgets available online and your back will thank you. Honestly, an office chair is a game-changer.
Try to stick to your normal routine as much as possible. It’s very easy to fall into the habit of snoozing the alarm, rolling out of bed and to the desk, just before the clock strikes nine; I promise you that it won’t do you have favours. Try to get up at your normal time and keep up with your usual routine. Of course, the commute time will have disappeared so maybe fill the extra time with a quick walk or do an at-home workout (there are plenty of videos on Youtube) – exercising in the morning is an excellent way to get those endorphins pumping and wake yourself up.
One of the benefits of working from home is that you don’t need to wear the usual business-casual attire that you would normally wear to work. If you’re not on camera in zoom meetings, it can be very tempting to wear your pyjamas but it’s not recommended. Unsurprisingly, many people have found that wearing PJs or loungewear whilst working from home hinders their motivation. So one of the best working from home tips would be to try to get showered and dressed before starting work – wearing normal (albeit slightly more comfortable) work clothes will help you get into the work zone and will help with productivity.
Part of maintaining your normal routine is to take the breaks that you would normally take whilst you’re in the office…and then some more! Try to stick to your normal lunch-break schedule, this is what you’re used to and it will help to keep a sense of normality in your day. However, since making the move to working from home, you may find that you’re sitting at your desk a lot more than you usually would be. Whilst in the office, you may be moving between meeting rooms, or around the office but now, with the joys of zoom, all of your meetings come to you. Studies have shown that taking breaks throughout the day will help you to stay focused and will boost productivity. Any experienced remote-worker will suggest taking regular breaks as one of their top working from home tips. Try setting a sedentary reminder on your smartwatch or phone to remind you to get up and stretch. Maybe do a few laps of the house whilst you wait for the kettle to boil!
One of the biggest differences about working from home is that there’s no one there to physically supervise you, so it can be difficult to stay motivated throughout the day. So one of the best working from home tips is not to procrastinate. Though you may be in a different environment, you probably still have the same amount of work to do – if you procrastinate throughout the day, you will have to make up the time in the evening or over the weekend. Advise friends and family that while you’re at work, you’re unavailable. The last thing you want is to have your leisure time eaten into because you were on facetime with your friend or scrolling on social media. One of the top working from home tips is to put your phone on the other side of the room or use an app like Forest, which helps you stay off your phone. This app, in particular, is extremely useful and easy to use – set a timer for the amount of time that you want to stay focused. Whilst this timer is running, a virtual tree grows and if you touch your phone, it will die. A notification will come through when the timer is up so it doubles as a stretch-break reminder! It’s a simple but effective concept, and it’s oddly satisfying to see your little trees at the end of the day.
If you’re not used to working from home, it can feel quite lonely, at times. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one feeling like this – many people all over the world have recently made the move to working from home, so everyone is in the same boat. Communicating solely via email might leave you longing for a catch up with colleagues at the coffee machine or in the canteen. Try to set up a group chat for your team via WhatsApp, slack, or skype. These channels are less formal than email and will provide a quick way to stay connected with your teammates. Organizing a weekly team meeting over zoom will also help to break up the workweek. Seeing everyone in person (almost) will be a welcome change from endless email chains and can offer an opportunity to discuss any issues you may have encountered whilst working from home.
Remember, the vast majority of people are new to working from home and it can take a while to get used to. This is a new experience for both employers and their employees and it will take a while to iron out the creases. However, as any experienced remote-worker will tell you, there is a range of benefits to working from home and your productivity doesn’t need to suffer just because your working environment may look a little different than it did previously.
