While technology has given many of us the opportunity to work from home these days, and some of us have even become accustomed to occasional bouts of working remotely as the ‘new normal’, many people might find it unsettling and have no idea how to go about setting up a home office and keeping to a work routine in the absence of having a proper workplace structure during periods of Coronavirus lock down. Now, just about everyone whose jobs allow them to work from home will be doing so. Here are some of our top tips to help you set up and manage your home office.
Claim your workspace
The first thing to do when setting up an office at home is to claim a dedicated workspace for yourself that will be free from unnecessary interruptions and afford you the space that you would have in a normal office. Even if it is a corner in your bedroom or living room, this space should be strictly reserved for work only. If you live with other people, it would be a good idea to set a few boundaries to restrict others from encroaching upon this space unless it is absolutely necessary.
Stay connected with your colleagues
A sense of loneliness and feeling out of the loop can quickly set in when you are working from home. Make it a part of your daily work routine to stay in touch with your colleagues on a regular basis. Even if it is a quick email or Whatsapp message. Better still, stay in touch via Skype. Even if you are not working on common projects with your colleagues, the more you stay connected the more you will feel like you are still part of the workforce.
Dealing with domestic distractions
Especially if you have children, it is not an easy task to separate work from domestic distractions. The urge to put in a load of washing while you are working on your laptop or see to the needs of others while you should be working is difficult to ignore. The trick here is to remind yourself that despite the fact that you are at home, you are also working and to try to discipline yourself to keep to your assigned tasks. You will feel a sense of achievement in getting work done at home when you are able to set schedules as well as boundaries and keep to them.
Make your workspace as comfortable as possible
Your normal office workspace is usually structured to be as comfortable as possible to maintain productivity. Yet, your home office may not come with ergonomically friendly furniture such as the adjustable swivel chair. Sitting at your desk for 8 hours a day can be taxing yet, sitting uncomfortably can have disastrous effects on your body and your stress levels. So, add a few cushions to your makeshift office chair and get settled in as comfortably as you can.
Take regular breaks
At work, you are usually entitled to a lunch break and regular tea breaks. Make it a point to take the same breaks at home as you would do if you were at work. That means, leaving your workspace entirely during these periods. Even if the only thing you can do is spend time in your garden, you need to take a dedicated break to split your day.
Communicate with your boss
Under normal circumstances you would spend a lot of your time in direct contact with your boss which means that communication is seamless. But, remote working means that communications can easily break down. It might also be the case that your manager has no experience working remotely either. The best way to tackle this problem is to stay in daily contact either telephonically or via email.
Don’t lounge around in your pyjamas
It is very tempting to lounge around in pyjamas while working from home. Yet, just because you can it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. Get dressed and behave as though you were going to your ‘real job’ as it were and you will be surprised how this creates a shift in mindset that puts you into ‘work mode’.
Avoid any other unnecessary distractions
When you are at home with all your creature comforts around you it is not easy to work when you would rather be doing something else. The television, radio and other forms of home entertainment should be avoided during the ‘office hours’ that you set aside for yourself.
Set goals daily
If you were working on a regular home project you would have develop a timing plan and set appropriate goals to achieve it. The same applies to a work project carried out at home. As you would at the office, set your daily goals, make them realistic and dedicatedly work towards achieving them.
Eat properly to boost your immune system
When we are at work, in the daily rush of things it is often the case that we neglect to take good care of ourselves in eating properly. While working from home you have the time and opportunity to properly structure and control your diet and avoid unhealthy foods. This is a real bonus. Eat well and help build your immune system.
Keep Safe
Hayley
