Work From Home – Best Practices

I have been working from home for a long time now. Almost six years, as opposed to the last seven or eight months that everyone else has been doing.  So I have found a bunch of ways that really help.  And a couple that I just recently discovered when the rest of the world moved into their home offices.

What to do when you get up

1. Get started early. Pretend you are going to the office, so do your normal getting ready for work routine. Make your bed, wear actual real clothes (including shoes).

2. Commute.  Actually, leave your house, walk around the block (or even further).  When you come back inside, you will feel like you have entered your workspace.

3. Put on the coffee and look at what your calendar has in store for you.  Make a note of any meetings scheduled so that you won’t be surprised.

Your Space

4. Choose a dedicated workspace. Make sure it’s large enough to fit everything you need.  Keep it organized to maximize productivity. A chair that lets you keep your feet planted on the floor and allows you to sit up straight without overreach or slump will help prevent injury.

5. Access to natural light is optimal. Are you near a window?  Can you reposition yourself to be closer to one?  Keep a glass of water nearby.  Humans are a lot more plant-like than originally thought. We need a good dose of water and sunlight.

6. Use distraction to your advantage.  Please keep it to one distraction.  A kitten.  A load of laundry.  A kid doing homework.  Many distractions are chaos.  One distraction is a motivator.

7. Remind people that they need to respect your work hours. You are not available for neighbours wanting to come over for coffee, or children needing attention (some attention needing is ok), or boyfriends needing help ironing their shirts – they are old enough to do it themselves.  You are at the office., not at home.

8. When work is over, your day is done. Log off and shut down your computer. Get up from your desk, leave the workday behind.  We have boundaries, people!  And they need to be respected.

Productivity

9. Structure your day like you would in the office. Use an online calendar.  You can dictate your schedule. Don’t allow your inbox to dictate what is important.  This one comes with a learning curve.  And one that I am currently working on. But if we allow our inbox to dictate our work activities, not only will you never be able to meet your work goals.  But if you can keep to an agenda + use a to-do list = you will win the day.

10. Save your hardest tasks when your brain works at its highest potential and where you can be the most productive. There is reason to stress yourself out if you need an hour or two for coffee to work its magic; tackle the easiest stuff first.  On the other hand, if you are a morning person and are wide awake as soon as you hop out of bed, take advantage of that energy and hit that hard project.

11. Use a timer or a focus app.  Something that allows you to minimize distraction.  It’s amazing how much time this will save you during the day.  And you will find yourself with an extra hour or two to work on projects that may have been put aside for quite a while.

12. Listen to podcasts. There is something about listening to people working that makes me more productive, and it’s nice actually to learn something new while toiling away.

13. Try to schedule meetings in mid to late mornings or in the afternoons.  This helps coworkers in later time zones to ease into their workday.

Social

14. During videoconferencing, look into the camera and not your coworker’s eyes.

15. Plan online activities with your coworkers to boost morale. But no more meetings.

I have one last tip.  One that I learnt recently.  Communicate with your coworkers, especially your bosses.  They aren’t mindreaders.  If you have a hard time – and it is a genuine possibility that you might be, they won’t know unless they already have established a practice of checking in with you. If you are feeling disillusioned, or not treated fairly, or are bored. They need to know.  They can help you come up with a solution.

**Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels