5 Tips For Effectively Working From Home

As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc across the globe and people are continuing to put themselves into isolation, more and more are being asked to work from home by the government unless they are key workers. The thought of working from home sounds appealing but it’s important to remember that you have a job to do and it isn’t a day off. There are certainly likely to be more distractions at home than in the office but the quality of work should remain as high as when produced in the workplace. Below we have suggested 5 tips for effectively working from home.

Start your day as if you’re heading to the office

Wake up at your usual time, shower and get dressed as if you were going to make your way to work (although, you don’t need to dress as formally)! It’s important to retain your normal routine whilst working from home in order to get into the swing of the day ahead.

Assign a designated workspace

It’s a good idea to decide whereabouts you will be working whilst at home. You would have your own desk space in the office; apply this same theory to your home, you need a designated workspace that’s tidy, organised and comfortable for you to spend your day there. Albeit comfortable, the sofa isn’t the wisest choice and although having the television or radio on in the background could be beneficial for productivity, lounging on the sofa whilst working, especially in front of the tv, is bound to lead to distraction!

Plan & structure your day as normal

First things first, take a look through your tasks for the day. Write yourself an additional to-do list if required, methodically planning your day as if you are constructing a checklist. If there is something you are going to need from a colleague or a client, identify this in the morning so that you can source what you need before you reach that task to avoid hindrance.

As well as planning what you have to work on, structuring your day as if you were in the office is so important. Ensure that you grab yourself a tea/coffee and have a glass of water nearby; take regular breaks from your screen as and when you feel you need to and block out your regular lunch break in your calendar so that your colleagues have visibility of this too.

Taking a lunch break as you would usually whilst at work is key and it’s recommended that you have a rest from screen time. Getting out of the house to go for a walk, getting some fresh air and stretching your legs is a good idea, it’s sure to make you feel refreshed when you return to your computer.

Retain the same or similar working hours that you would have if you were going into the office. If you would usually leave the office at 5 pm, stop work at 5 pm. It’s very easy to lose track of time when you don’t have a bus to catch or the worry of being stuck in lots of traffic but it’s important that you allow yourself time to switch off and relax in the evenings.

Keep in touch with your colleagues & interact with clients

Don’t isolate yourself completely whilst working from home. Be sure to keep in touch with colleagues throughout the day as you would normally communicate with them and don’t avoid speaking to clients, simply because you’re not sat at your usual desk in the office. By being available and willing to help, you can continue to add value to a project and to be an asset to your team and clients which will be greatly appreciated.

Keep it personal

As with anything, everybody is different and will naturally have varied approaches to working from home. It’s a good idea to keep things personal, if something isn’t working for you, change it. There are no rules to follow whilst working from home but the key thing to remember is that you’re there to do your job and it should be no different to when you are in the office.

With the current unknown and uncertainty ever-present and with people set to work from home until further notice, it’s vital to take steps to make your time at home as productive as possible.