Is working from home a new concept for you? Are you unsure how to create a healthy work-life balance being in the house all day long? We’ve written some tips that will help you maximise your performance and increase productivity working from home. Working from home can seem like a luxury, but it can be extremely problematic if you don’t manage it well, so keep reading for a best practice guide to working from home.
Find the best place for you to concentrate
Surround yourself in the best environment for maximum productivity with no distractions – whether that be at your dining room table, or if you have a home office, even better! Don’t sit in your bedroom all day, this is a huge productivity killer. Your bedroom should be a place for you to escape and relax!
Break up your day into bitesize chunks
The most productive times, where we create our highest quality work, are in hour-long bursts, with short breaks in between. Over-committing your time and working too much can have a huge impact on your productivity, so by planning 5-10-minute breaks into your day you will increase your productivity and creativity levels. Go make a brew or sort the washing out! You never know what light bulb might go off once you step away from your screen!
Create a proper structure for yourself
Working from home doesn’t mean you should skip your morning routine altogether. Set an alarm, get up, have a shower, have a coffee, and get changed, as though you’re about to leave the house to go to the office. Since you’re probably going to be indoors for most of the day, maybe take yourself on a Boris walk to get some fresh air before you start your day or squeeze in a quick morning workout! This will get you in the right mindset to get work done.
Use ‘time boxing’ to plan your day
Get rid of your to-do lists. Instead of this, plan your day by inserting time slots into your online calendar for jobs so that you know you’re getting the most important jobs done first, and you’re reassured that you’re using your time effectively. You can even insert an hour into your calendar at lunch for a walk, and 10 minutes in the morning to sort the washing. This method is much more efficient than using to-do lists!
Keep connected with the outside world
Keep yourself in the loop with your colleagues or team members by having scheduled phone or video calls each day. We combat this within our organisation by having a ‘morning map-out call every morning at the start of the workday. We use this phone call to outline and clarify everyone’s jobs for the day and to ensure we’re all on the same page. These calls are essential as game plans can suddenly change and certain jobs can become more important than others. Also, it’s nice to just check up on one another!
Don’t forget to exercise regularly
It’s very easy to get stuck at your desk all day while working from home, but it’s so important to keep moving as much as possible for your own health, physically and mentally. Exercise naturally boosts our endorphin levels, which increases productivity! Doing a workout first thing is recommended rather than waiting until the evening, as you’re more likely to do it and you can’t use the excuse – ‘I’ve had a long day, I’m too tired”. Try and do stretches throughout the day so you don’t start to cramp up!
We hope these six tips for working from home and increasing productivity help you to combat cabin fever and use your time as effectively as possible. It takes more than just high-speed internet connection to work from home successfully! Start putting these tips into practice to improve your routine and create a happy work from home life.
