Home office – make it count

As circumstances surrounding the Covid-19 incident evolve on a global scale, home office has become a necessity, in terms of both keeping #IntrasoftPeople safe as well as assuring business continuity for our clients.

We have all been through the process of transforming a corner of our house to a working station for a series of video calls, chat messages, phone calls, emails etc. Although we have all worked from home at some individual cases but, as we are entering the 3rd consecutive week, we need to adapt to this new reality, that will go on for the upcoming weeks and make it as effective as possible.

It takes a lot of self-discipline, but there are some useful tips that you might find inspiring and can make your home office experience creative and fertile.

1.      Think like a mouse. Find the quietest corner of your house and set your working space there.

2.      De-clutter your desk. Keep your working space simple and minimal, it will make it easier for you to focus on your work.

3.      Desk vs Bed. Work on your desk, not your bed or couch. It is much better for your hands and neck, plus you will avoid muscle pain.

4.      Wake-up hour. Not having to go to the office saves us at least 1 hour in the morning. Use the extra time to get some more sleep or do some work out; both will give you the energy to be productive through the day. Don’t forget to have breakfast!

5.      Dress code. Home office equals comfortable clothing, don’t make it too comfy, though. Don’t stay in your pajamas; wear something casual, it will help you move into work mode faster. Also brush your hair and slap on some cologne.

6.      Put on some music, something that keeps you company but doesn’t distract you from your work. Our brand-new Spotify Home Office list is suitable!

7.      Take some meaningful breaks. By meaningful we mean a break from your laptop screens; walk around the apartment, take the trash down, play a song on your guitar or piano or sit on the balcony for 5 minutes. This will clear your head and make your brain feel refreshed. Don’t forget to stretch in every break.

8.      Stay hydrated. Always have a big glass of water (apart from your coffee/tea cups) beside you and keep drinking. Each time you get up to refill it you will also have the chance to stretch.

9.      Lunch break. Respect your lunch break and do not eat next to your laptop. Go to the kitchen or the living room and help your brain relax and freshen up.

10.  Sleep well. Waking up (at least) 1 hour later in the morning can be a trap. Try not to go to bed too late.

11.  Act like you’re not at home. Try not to talk on the phone or answer to the doorbell during business hours. If you have a pair of noise-cancelling set of headsets, try them on.

12.  The 20-20-20 rule. The idea is that you take a 20-second break from looking at a screen every 20 minutes. During the break, focus on an object 20 feet away, which relaxes the eye muscles.

13.  Daily catch-up. Arrange a daily 15’ catch-up call with your team. This way all team members will be updated for all tasks and team spirit is empowered.

Don’t forget this; we may be apart but we are closer than ever!

Thanks to Villy and Andreas for sharing their tips!

#WeCare