We are all asked to stay home right now and if you are reading this I highly recommend it. It’s hard to be in the house all day but it gives each of us so much time to slow down and focus on what is important. Since a lot of people are being asked to work home, I thought I would share my 5 top tips for working from home to keep you productive and motivated! To be honest it is hard and something I have had to work on over time. But it gives you a lot more freedom to get some other things done and not feel as stressed or pressured with others around all the time.
TIPS FOR WORKING FROM HOME
- Keep to your routine. I have found this to be the most challenging to keep to but also the thing that really impacts the way I work from home. When I am heading to the office I have to make my bed, make my lunch, do my hair, make up and get dressed. Even when I am working from home I walk through those steps. I don’t always put on a full face of make up but I try to put tinted moisturizer on with some mascara. I also change into other clothes even if it’s not work wear. Going through the motions of keeping a routine triggers your mind to get into that state of work.
- Out of sight, out of mind. Put your phone on silence and put it in a drawer. When you are in the office it’s harder to be on your phone. Either you are in meetings, your boss is next to you, or you are completing activities. During a working day at the office it’s harder to be on your phone (check your screen time. That will indicate how much less you are on your phone during the day when you are at the office). Keep that mind set when you are at home. It’s so easy to go down the rabbit hole of Instagram, Facebook or even the news. The best thing I do is put my phone on silence and place in a drawn downstairs. For about an hour I do think about “oh let me check Instagram” but after a while I honestly forget all about it. It really just takes some time.
- Setup a similar space to your office. The office is a productive space because of the environment you have setup there. Keep that same scene by bringing it home. Don’t work from a couch if that is what you aren’t used to. Your productivity level will dip low because it isn’t that same setup. If you don’t have a desk then setup your kitchen table (for the time being) just like you have your office desk. I highly recommend asking your boss if you can expense a monitor. A lot of companies allow that now.
- Keep to a similar schedule. Take a moment and think through your day at the office. What do you do? Where do you walk to? When do you take breaks? When do you leave the office? Write it down and then stick to it. If you take an hour lunch, get up from your desk and go to the kitchen and eat lunch for an hour. If you take 30 minutes to go walk around the office building, get up and walk around your house, the neighborhood, or walk on a treadmill. I would not recommend bringing your lunch, snacks, drinks to where you are working from home and thinking you will sit there all day. You will burn out so quickly, leading to less productivity. It is normal to take breaks as needed!
- Keep the communication open. A lot of us are used to talking to people all day. Either in passing, in meetings or sitting next to people. It can feel isolating sitting at home and not having that same level of interaction. Open up your company chat and communicate with people. Pick up the phone and call a co-worker if you have a question. Not everything needs to be in an email but it shouldn’t be a formal meeting either.
What are your best work from home tips? I would love to see other tips in the comments section below! This will be so helpful for all people looking to improve their work from home experience.