Top 5 Tips When Working From Home

 

As we approach one year of that first UK lockdown, some employees are also approaching one year of WFH. Although it has brought its challenges to the table for some, others have thrived and been able to person the same if not better since their spare bedroom has doubled as an office/conference centre!

Whichever of the above category you have fallen into we have put together our top five tips for staying in charge of your days when working from home.

 

Tip One – Keep Your Routine

 

Rolling out of bed at 8:59 and firing up the laptop isn’t really the way to go. Not only is it not a great way to prepare for a days work but you should never trust anyone that can wake up, brush their teeth and have that first epic coffee of the day all in 60 seconds, they are telling porkies. We understand that your regular commute has been temporarily postponed but you should still mimic it if possible. Wake up at your regular time, eat some breakfast, get yourself into the mentality of ‘I’m going to work’. If your workday is usually 9-5 then work your normal day, nothing has changed, you just get to spend all day with your dog. An added bonus, if you are craving that routine, make a coffee and go for a short walk before work and make that your commute.

 

Tip Tw0 – Create A Workspace

 

Have a dedicated place that you will do your work during the day, as tempting as it is to work from the sofa all day it is doing you no favours. Use a desk in the house, make a dedicated space on the dining room table, work with what you have it will help you to get in the right frame of mind to work and will also help your posture and prevent aches and pains.

 

Tip Three – Fresh Air

 

Let in some natural light, open the windows and get a breeze running through the conference centre, I mean spare bedroom. Take some time to go for a short walk, take a brolly though, its hardly Venice Beach out there at the moment.

 

Tip Four – Check In With Colleagues

 

As much as it’s great being able to put your AirPods (Other white wireless, Bluetooth earphones are available) in and chat with your friends as much as you like now that you’re working from home, you should still check in with Margeret in accounts. Keeping on top of work projects and the goings-on within the business will keep you in the loop and up to date with work will keep you focused and organised with your workload from home. Also checking in with your colleagues for a catch up will massively help to boost your mental health whilst working from home.

 

Tip Five – Prepare for Distractions

 

Now we all know our main distractions will more than likely be the little ones at home, so prepare for this, try and keep them entertained as much as you can but if your work allows it switch up your hours to keep your kids entertained. Work more when they go to bed or take naps if this is possible. Now we all know that sometimes this isn’t possible and the likelihood of a stray Nerf Bullet taking you out mid zoom call is high, we are all in the same boat right now, if you have to take 5 minutes to be a mom or dad that’s cool, we get it kids come first.

 

On the other hand for those of you who don’t have children we have found other distractions, one which I’m sure that we have all noticed is the rise in deliveries since we have been working from home, a top tip is just leaving a note on the door for the delivery driver to leave the parcel next door or in a safe place. In all honesty though I think we may need to curb online shopping, most of us are now on first name terms with our amazon delivery drivers.

 

So there we have our top tips for working from home, normality will return soon enough. Until then stay healthy and stay safe!