A large portion of the workforce are now working from home due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with many unsure of when they will be able to return to the office.
Most people have worked from home before here and there, it has long been a staple of a flexible workforce, but the timeframe is currently unknown and the novelty of working in your pyjamas may well wear off soon.
We’ve compiled a list of tips to keep you motivated and save your sanity while you’re working from home for the foreseeable future.
- Designated working spot – Make sure you setup a workstation somewhere quiet and comfortable in your house. It’s important to not work from your bed or the lounge and to create a distinct work station. This will not only help to get you focused and on track, it also helps you to switch off at the end of the day and leave your work behind.
- Have the right technology setup and stay safe – Take your laptop home and your monitors from the office if you don’t have any setup at home. If you don’t have a webcam built in to your laptop, try and source one. It’s important to make your technology setup as efficient as you can. Also, remember to maintain good cyber security practices, check out our previous blog for more tips to stay safe online.
- Get ready for work – It’s important to try and keep a normal(ish) routine going, set your alarm for the morning get dressed (don’t give in to the temptation of working in your pyjamas), eat your breakfast and sit down at your work station to start working. By going through this routine you are putting yourself in the right mindset to be productive.
- Have a schedule – Plan out your tasks for the day. It will help you stay on track and focused if you have planned out your tasks and you know what you’re going to be working on. It’s also important to set a start and finish time, while working from home, the lines between work and personal time can blur more than ever.
- Stay connected – While working from home we miss a lot of those organic interactions with our co-workers that make up the day. Setup an instant chat (e.g. Slack) for employees to have more social focused interactions. Make sure you’re checking in with your colleagues either via video or traditional phone calls.
- Set boundaries – It can be difficult working from home with a full house of people. If your spouse if also working from home and you have kids home from school it feels almost impossible. It’s important to set boundaries and expectations, such as certain hours to not be disturbed, perhaps take turns with your spouse to mind the kids.
- Take proper breaks – It can be tempting at home to just eat lunch in front of your computer and power through. Taking proper breaks can actually help keep you productive and switched on.
We really don’t know how long we will continue to be working from home so it’s important to implement some of these steps to ensure you are comfortable, happy and productive away from the office.