The Best Working From Home Tips
Robert Stevens
Managing Director of Optix Solutions, Boutique Marketing Agency & Winner of Campaign's Best Places to Work 2021 - 2024 & Campaign's 40 over 40, 2024
A year and a half since the pandemic broke and working from home is now a huge part of the majority of our routines. Although it was a rare pre-pandemic, it now looks like it’s here to stay, and it’s likely you’ve seen countless articles with tips and tricks on how to work efficiently from home. Having taken a look back through some older articles on the topic, I realised that, despite the majority of tips being useful, now is the time to review and update them. This is because, while remote working is still hugely relevant and taking place all around us, the working from home landscape has changed dramatically. We are no longer confined to the four walls of our homes in strict national lockdown with no option of seeing any friends, family or colleagues. We now live in a world where remote working exists alongside all the freedoms we were used to before. This is why this article seeks to collate the best remote working tips for right now - Autumn 2021 and beyond.
·????????Figure out how much time you personally need to go into the office: We are all individuals with our own personal preferences and ways of working. This means that no employer should state that their employees should work “3 days from home and 2 from the office” for example. Some employees like to work mostly from the office, some like to work mostly from home, and some don’t like to work from home at all. For you as an individual, it is useful to know your own preferences and where you are going to be most productive.
·????????Pretend you are going into the office: This is something that has been a useful trick throughout the whole pandemic. The mental association you make between work and the office can make you more productive, and there’s no reason that feeling should be lost when working remotely.
Get dressed and ready as if you are going into the office - your brain associates your pyjamas with sleep and in a similar sense, associates your work clothes with work and being professional.
With eased restrictions, you can take additional steps to feel like you are going to work - for example, if you buy a coffee every morning from Starbucks you can still do this. You can even go for a short walk in the mornings to mimic the commute to work.
·????????Set your working day up in a way that’s right for you: Similarly to the first point, it is useful to understand what situations you are most productive in. For example, you might find that, despite feeling you are more productive at home, you thrive in in-person meetings. If your workplace allows, you can split your working day flexibly to suit your needs.
Also think about when you are most productive - with flexible working you can usually move your hours around to suit you. If you are most productive at particular times of the day, prioritise these periods.
·????????Remember the importance of environment: It has always been important with remote working to ensure you’re working in the right environment - make sure you are working in a place that makes you feel productive such as an office room in your home rather than your bedroom or living room. Nowadays, you have the freedom to switch up your working environment too - for example, you could work at a café, library or public workspace.
·????????Socialise with colleagues: Your workplace might have online channels in a team messaging app like Slack, for talking about common interests or arranging meetups. When working remotely, you can always meet up with your colleagues in breaks for walks or lunch, for example.
·????????Stick to a routine: Stick to your regular morning and evening routine you would use for work, this will help define the boundary between being at home and working from home.
·????????Ask for what you need: With remote working here to stay, it is important to ensure you have all the equipment needed to work efficiently from home. This can include things like a monitor, keyboard, mouse, chair, desk, printer, software etc. and if your organisation is happy to provide what you don’t have, it is important to ask after this equipment.
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·????????Set ground rules: It is likely your family members also work from home so it is important to set boundaries so that each member of the household knows not to distract one another and when it is time to work or socialise.
·????????Take breaks and leave home! Even when working remotely, breaks are still vital to productivity but can be easily missed when you are already in your home environment. Also make sure you leave the house for fresh air, time away from work and for your physical health.
Working remotely is still something many of us are getting used to, and using the tips above, it can be done productively and can provide you balance in your working life. If you would like to know more about our flexible working policy at Optix or would like any advice on the topic, feel free to get in touch!
Alternatively, if you would like to read more information and advice about remote working, take a look at the reference articles below as they include many more tips and tricks at how to get remote working right.
Reference Articles:
I help busy business owners build thriving, growing businesses—without the constant feeling that everything’s coming back to you.
3 年Great advice their Robert Stevens, finding the routine that works for you and sticking with it is key for me
Director of Customer Acquisition | CMO Group PLC
3 年'Pretend you're going into work' is the tip that works most for me! Shower, dressed and coffee in a travel mug :D
Versatile Virtual Assistant
3 年My favourite tip is to make a packed lunch of sorts, otherwise I’ll forget to eat or grab something rubbish for lunch!