Tips for Working from Home

Things have changed a lot in the past few weeks, and some of us are adapting better than others. Many of us have been instructed to work from home until further notice, and if you are not used to working remotely then it can be a bit of an adjustment at first. After some trial and error, I eventually found the best ways to make sure I was just as productive at home as I was at the office. If you are struggling to be your most productive self while working from home, here are some tips to create a workspace at home and improve your productivity!  

CREATE A FUNCTIONAL WORKSPACE 

I cannot stress how important this is. Having a designated workspace in your home is key to getting yourself into "work" mode versus staying in "home" mode. If you are working with a limited amount of space like I am (I am currently using my dining table as my office space), work with what you have. Clean up any clutter surrounding your space and remove anything that may distract you - for me, this means having my laptop, agenda, notepad, and highlighters on hand - and nothing else. I like to have a little bit of background noise when I work so I usually have a Bluetooth speaker on hand as well.  

• DON'T: use your bed or couch as your workspace.  
• DO: try and incorporate natural light into your workspace. Research conducted by Cornell University found that: 

Office workers with natural daylight reported a 84% decrease in headaches, eyestrain, and blurred vision symptoms.

Workers with smart glass windows in their offices (auto-tinted glass that adapts to and controls the sun's energy to optimize natural light and reduce glare) reported a 10% decrease in drowsiness. 

Workers sitting close to a window that optimized light exposure reported a 2% increase in productivity. 

CONSIDER ERGONOMICS WHEN SETTING UP YOUR WORKSTATION  

In roles where I was seated at a desk for most of the day, I felt tension early on in my neck and upper back and chose to ignore it. This went on for some time and eventually turned into something serious called thoracic outlet syndrome, where the nerves between my collarbone and rib are compressed, causing constant pain in my neck and upper back and my fingers and arm to go numb. Health is a number one priority, especially during a time like this. If you are feeling pain or discomfort, nip it in the bud and make adjustments to your workstation. 

Some key tips to ensure your work-from-home setup optimizes your health and productivity include: 

• DON'T: hunch over or slouch in your seat. This puts a huge strain on your neck and back. Actively remind yourself throughout the day to bring your shoulders back - a great tip my physiotherapist gave me is to make fists with your hands, bring your shoulders up to your ears, pull your arms back like you are doing a cable row and hold for five seconds - do this 10 times every hour.  
• DO: put your calls on speaker or use a headset to avoid putting extra strain on your neck and shoulders.  
• DO: place your laptop or monitor at SLIGHTLY below eye level and about an arm's length away.  
• DO: use an ergonomic keyboard and mouse, and keep your wrists and elbows at the same level when typing.  

 Some great links on how to create your own ergonomic workspace: 

• Creating the Perfect Ergonomic Workspace – The ULTIMATE Guide 
• 9 ways to turn your desk into the ideal workspace  

CREATE A DAILY SCHEDULE 

Every day, I create a schedule for myself that outlines my responsibilities for the day. This includes setting up blocks of time for work, breaks, and personal responsibilities. A great free resource to use here is Passion Planner's free downloads, where they have a variety of PDF trackers at your disposal. My go-to is their Daily PDF, where I can visually plan out my day and check things off as I complete them.  

DO: get creative when creating your schedule. I am a visual person, so I like to use lots of sticky notes and colours. If you are staring at the same boring piece of paper every day, the least you can do is make it nice to look at! I like using Zebra Mildliners to time block my tasks.   

DON’T: get off schedule. When you have everything written out, it is harder to justify why you are not using your time wisely - especially when you have already planned out when your breaks are.  

GET DRESSED FOR WORK 

This may be tough for some of you and I am definitely guilty of it! Once you are up, get dressed like you would for a normal and typical workday. As comfortable as your pajamas or sweatpants may be, not dressing the part can make you TOO comfortable and in turn sluggish and unproductive. Dress comfortably, but keep it business casual.  

DRINK WATER 

Anyone who knows me knows I harp on about water intake. Staying hydrated reduces fatigue, lubricates your joints, regulates your body temperature, promotes healthy skin, improves your mood… the benefits are endless. Studies have shown that being dehydrated by just 2% impairs performance in tasks that require attention, psychomotor, and immediate memory skills. I drink roughly 3-4L of water a day, and increase that to 5L on days I do some sort of physical activity (home workouts, cardio, etc.). If this seems daunting at first, try filling up a shaker cup 6-7 times a day to get that intake in.  

Note: If you are a coffee drinker, a good rule of thumb is to have two extra cups of water for every cup of coffee you have.  

Tip: Some people simply do not like the taste of water - try infusing your water with a squeeze of lemon or lime, cucumber, or berries.  

GET UP AND MOVE AROUND  

Anyone who knows me also knows that in addition to water intake, I stress the importance of movement. Sitting all day puts an enormous amount of strain on your neck, shoulders, upper back, and lower back. Too much exposure to blue light from staring at computer screens and digital devices all day can lead to digital eyestrain, causing your eyes to become sore or irritated, making it difficult to focus. Step away from work and give yourself breaks throughout the day to stretch and move. I try to schedule at least 30 minutes in my day to do a home workout using bodyweight movements, resistance bands, and anything heavy I can find to keep combat that midday slump. Fitplan, SWEAT, and Nike Training Club are great home workout apps.

OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATION 

We are all going through this together and need to help one another. Keeping an open line of communication with your team and supervisors is key when working remotely. Be available for calls, respond in a timely manner, check in regularly, and keep your projects moving. If you are feeling overwhelmed, speak up!  

Some programs, apps, and software my team and I like to utilize are listed below: 

• Mattermost for communication 
• Microsoft Teams for communication and video conferencing  
• Google Drive for file management  
• Microsoft SharePoint for file management 
• GoTo Meeting for video conferencing 
• Cisco Webex Meetings for video conferencing 
• Zoom for video conferencing  

 I would love to hear your thoughts on how you are coping with working remotely, as well as any apps and programs that you and your team like to use!