How to get the most from working at home
Working from home is great, until you’re stuck there with no other alternative, the kids are going crazy around you and the neighbour has decided that now is the time for major house renovations.
For many businesses, the initial stages of the Covid-19 lockdown meant a mad rush to sort out the technology which could enable their employees to work from home. However, those that furloughed their workforce may only now be looking at starting up operations again, with the resulting move to home office set-ups.
Home working is not always an easy transition, especially when other family members are around and there’s home schooling or childcare to consider. Isolation from work colleagues and reduced social contact can also have a big impact, and then there’s the need to create new systems to overcome a lack of physical presence in the workplace.
As a freelancer, it took me years to really get to grips with the freedom which came with home working. Thankfully, I’ve now created a productive routine which seems to work for me but still gives a good work/home balance.
So read on if you want some insider knowledge to fast track you through those frustrating months of getting a good home office established.
Pretend you’re still going into work
Yep, we all know that working from home means that you can technically stay up late watching the latest Netflix blockbuster and roll out of bed whenever you feel like it the next morning before having a leisurely breakfast. However, believe me, once the initial excitement has worn off, it leads to aimless and unproductive days which can have a real negative impact on mood.
My weekday routine now means that I go to bed and get up at a similar time to the days when I commuted into an office. I start the day with some exercise (it’s easier to fit it in when the commuting time is taken out of your morning), before getting dressed as if I’m going to work.
Find your space
If you’re lucky enough to have a spare room with an office set up, then you’re good to go and can just shut the door at the end of the working day! Unfortunately, many of us have to operate in rooms which are designed for other purposes (my office is the kitchen table).
In the early days, I used to leave all my work out overnight which a) meant that I often spent time tweaking this or that late into the evening and b) psychologically meant that I was never away from work. It’s therefore helpful to find yourself a specific area for work and, importantly, to clear it away at the end of the day so that you can switch off.
Get away from your desk
One of the difficult things about working from home is the lack of clear separation between work and home. Without colleagues packing up around me or the need to commute back home at the end of the day, I often forget what time it is and work late into the evening. Lunch ends up being in front of my computer (remember I’m working at the kitchen table) rather sticking to my old workplace routine of wandering round the shops to clear my head.
Getting outside helps me to break that routine and, on particularly busy days, a walk at the end of the working day really helps me to clear my head (I sometimes think of it as my evening commute). It also has the additional benefit of stopping cabin fever from taking over - on the days when I miss a walk, my whole life becomes the four walls of home.
Stay connected
Loneliness can be a real issue when working from home, especially for anyone living on their own. If you’re used to chatting with colleagues at work in a busy and social workplace, this can be even more of an issue when your working life becomes restricted to being alone in a room at home.
Pre lockdown, I could sometimes go the whole day without speaking to another human being. Since we’ve all become more adept at using technology, I’ve really started to appreciate video calling with family, friends and work colleagues. What’s App group chats can also help to maintain the social elements of working life. The big thing to remember is to reach out whenever you’re struggling.
Find what makes you focus
Whether you need background noise or complete silence to focus is a very individual choice, and might even depend on your mood or the task you’re working on at the time.
Sometimes, I prefer to have a quiet day but often, I like to play the radio quietly in the background and tend to tune in and out of listening. In normal circumstances, I love working in cafes which have a general ambient noise. If you’re the same, you could try Apps or YouTube white noise playlists (popular ones are wave sounds and coffee shops).
Watch out for the household chores
When you’re at home all day with a task list as long as your arm, suddenly the cleaning and laundry become really important!
You can tackle this in a couple of ways. The first is to stick to your normal working day schedule - so if you are normally away from home and do the household chores when you’re back at the end of the working day, stick to that same schedule. The other way (and the one I tend to operate) is to use emptying the washing machine as a break from my computer and a reason to get up, stretch my legs and give my eyes a rest.
The whole household chore debate is really about procrastination and how to stop yourself from becoming distracted, so it’s worth mentioning social media here. Unless you log out of your personal accounts or restrict checking them to your lunch break and after work, you risk losing a day scrolling (yep, that happens!).
Set expectations
Just because you’re working at home doesn’t mean that you’re ‘at home’ and available. However, I know of many freelancers who struggle with people thinking that it’s ok to interrupt them, call for a chat or ask them to help with childcare simply because they think being at home means that they can come and go as they please.
This can be even more pronounced when the whole family is home through lockdown measures. It’s therefore important to communicate when you are working and expect friends and family to respect your space. That said, sometimes a little interruption to chat for 5 minutes can be a good thing - after all, it’s what happens in a normal workplace.
Establish your hours
The freedom of a home office means that you can create a working pattern which plays to your strengths. If you’re more productive in the morning, you can get started really early. Conversely, if you’re a night owl, you can start and finish later. However, the key thing to remember is that you establish some kind of pattern.
This is something I really used to struggle with. I would start late in the morning, never really get going until early afternoon and then still be working at 8pm at night. Honestly, if it was a productive way to live then it might have been ok but it was an ad-hoc thing which had no real structure. I’ve since found that getting started much earlier helps me to achieve so much more. I also set myself an earlier finishing time which then gives me quality time in the evenings.
While I’m talking about establishing your hours, remember to give yourself breaks during the day.
Look after your health
I’ve already mentioned the benefits of stretching your legs, going for a walk, getting fresh air and taking regular breaks, but good nutrition and hydration are also important.
Despite working at the kitchen table, I’m terrible at making myself decent lunchtime meals when I’m on a roll with work. I can go the whole day just picking at food which is quick or easy to grab (thankfully the fridge is generally healthy). A way to get around this bad habit is by continuing to prepare lunch and snacks the previous evening.
Let me know in the comments if you have any more tips or strategies which you follow when working at home.
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Jacquie Budd is a content writer and strategist, helping businesses, charities and not for profits to connect with their customers.
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