6 articles to help you get the best out of working from home

Clearly, for good or bad, we are now all forced into a very different way of working and for many who are fortunate enough to still be working, how they are doing it has changed dramatically. Hopefully, we will get through COVID-19 and then we can go back to business as normal, whether this working from home on a global scale changes the way we work long-term, is not something many of us can predict and I certainly can’t with any authority, so I won’t.

What I have been doing though is looking at some articles online to try and find the best way to work from home, as I get back into the groove I had over 2 years ago now, when I ran my own consultancy business. The difference this time is I have no time on client sites or at sales meetings, it’s just me, hiding in my outside office (converted shed) as my wife home-schools our 2 boys and I make calls to the sound of my dog barking! I know I’m extremely lucky I have a designated space, and I’m not juggling being a parent and working in my work-day. Below is a summary of the 6 best articles I have found on working from home, which I wanted to share to help keep you focused, happy, and above all sane during the lockdown.

1) Virtual Meetings Don’t Have to Be a Bore by Andy Molinsky. One of the hardest parts of any ‘virtual’ meeting or interaction is being able to maintain that human element. I love Andy Molinsky’s approach where he notes that  he tries ‘to imagine the reactions of the people I’m interacting with.’ There’s lots of practical advice to bring an element of warmth and personality to your online presentations in this short article in the Harvard Business Review.

2) How to self-isolate: Tips from an ex NASA astronaut by Lucy Kippist. As we all come to terms with operating in our ‘bubbles’ we certainly aren’t as isolated as an astronaut up in a tin-can in space, so if they can survive that isolation, we can certainly take heart that we all can too. This fantastic article provides 5 simple tips to help us all remain sane as we beaver away in our makeshift home offices.

3) How to work from home without losing the plot by Terri Psiakis. Way back in 2016 people were actually working from home by choice! There’s lots of simple tips in here, from keeping focus to having the right tech (assuming you can purchase it!). I like the very last line in the article, ‘Try using Skype for some of your interactions to reinvigorate yourself occasionally. Just make sure the camera view doesn’t take in the nacho sauce drips on your PJs…’

4) 10 tips for working from home with your kids there, from a freelancer who's been homeschooling her kids for 3 years by Nicole Roder This is one of the hardest things that many people are grappling with right now. Working from home with the intent to do so is one thing, when it is forced upon you and the kids are in the same house or room while you attempt to do so makes trying to clean the bathroom floor with only a toothbrush seem an easy task in comparison! These tips are from Nicole Roder, an expert who has juggled family life and working from home by choice, so I’d implore anyone faced with this situation to heed her advice.

5) A Work From Home Toolkit by Michael Ventura There are heaps of great articles on Forbes, which is of no surprise. I like the structure of Michael Ventura’s article as it sets out some simple steps to help get the most out of  your virtual meetings, whether they are for work our social interaction. Genius stuff.

6) How to Work From Home: 20 Tips From People Who Do It Successfully by Erik Devaney. Another article written before the time of COVD-19 but again tips from those experienced in working at home for a reasonable length of time. I have spent a lot of my times on calls and I’m now reflecting that it would be more productive to heed the advice from tip 9 and ’Save calls for the afternoon.’ Thanks for the tip James Glibert. The other 19 tips are also worth implementing.

That’s just a sample of the great advice I’ve come across around navigating the path of working from home. The added complexity in our social distancing world is that we all miss that need for human interaction. I see more and more on the various social media channels of people finding ways to come together and I’ve found my regular Wednesday night Zoom chats and beers with my football (soccer) team an essential part of maintaining mental health, alongside walks and runs. A few days ago people on Facebook were asking people to post pictures of the sea, so with that in mind I’ll sign off with the view at the end of my street. I’m very lucky to be in lockdown with my family and to be in a beautiful country. I hope everyone finds their best ways of working and staying mentally fit during this period.

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Ben has experience in both NZ and the UK in as a Director in business development, sales and marketing.

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