Most of us have found ourselves in the position of having to work from home. For many this will be a new experience. So how do you get the best out of your day, maximise what you are doing and optimise performance while you’re working from home? Here are my five top tips to help.
1. Get up, shower and get changed.
It might sound crazy but it’s really important to put yourself in your normal mindset of work. Set your alarm like you normally would, have a shower and get changed into fresh clothes. There’s no need to be in your full work attire, but don’t stay in your pyjamas, it won’t get you motivated or set for your day. Another positive, you won’t need to commute, saving time. So get up, have your coffee/tea, have your breakfast, get ready and get going.
2. Have dedicated work space.
It’s important to decide on a suitable workspace. If you keep it clean and minimised from distractions, you’ll create the perfect working zone. If you can, ensure it’s bright with plenty of light so you don’t feel too closed in. If your room has a lock, use it and put a sign on the door saying you’re working. It will mean if you have other members in your household, they will have to knock before they come in and disturb you. Keeping the door shut is also a great way to keep pets out.
3. Avoid social media
Unless you’re working in a role which involves social media - avoid it! The more we look at our socials, the more we will become distracted from what we’re actually meant to be doing. I would advise logging out of accounts, Because logging in is a pain, as we don’t always remember the passwords, it will make it harder to log back in. Another good idea to stop pointless browsing, is using an incognito search when you’re searching new web pages. This is an internet browser setting that prevents browsing history and windows you’ve opened before, thus saving more of your precious time.
4. Structure your day
If you don’t make a plan, you will allow yourself to lose concentration and you won’t get the most out of your day. Here are some suggestions; make sure you have a start and end time. Keep this consistent with your normal work pattern. Take your lunch break at the time you normally would. It’s really important to plan some extra breaks throughout your day. When you’re in the office you probably get up and make a hot drink every so often and speak to your colleagues by the water cooler. So make sure you fit those into your day. Set alarms if you need to. When you take a break, make sure you get away from your desk, go into another area of your home, like the living room, maybe watch TV. When you come back to your desk you will feel refreshed and ready to get going again.
5. Have regular people interactions
It can be lonely working from home, especially if this is the first experience. Take advantage of all the great technology that’s available. This could be Microsoft Teams, Zoom, FaceTime, Skype. Speak to your colleagues, have those conversations, pick up your phone and talk. That interaction will make you feel less isolated and lonely.
Good luck to anyone working from home. You might just find you actually get more done! Enjoy!
Watch my YouTube video for more useful tips
