Thousands of people are likely to be working from home for the first time due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
So if your not self-isolating, but have been told to work remotely from home, what the best way to stay efficient and keep your spirits up?
1. Get Dressed:
For some people, the prospect of staying in their pyjamas all day long is the most tantalising aspect of working from home. But washing and getting dressed will not only improve your state of mind, it will psychologically prepare you start work.
Whether you need to change into business attire depends on the type of person you are and the nature of the job you have. Some people find that dressing formally is helpful and also useful if they need to dial into a video call. For others the point of getting dressed is being forced to shower and change out of clothes they associate with sleep and rest, even if that is just changing into jeans and a T shirt or leisure attire.
Wearing respectable clothes also increases motivation to leave the house. Likewise changing out of work clothes when you clock off for the day helps your brain to understand that the working day is over
2. Establish boundaries:
If your employed by a company you’ll probably have set hours to work, and its important that you stick to these when working from home. Be ready to start your day at the same time as you would be in the office/workplace and finish your day at your normal finishing time.
It is very important that you do not over work because of anxiety about working from home. Many people tend to over communicate when working from home as they want to ensure people know what they are up to. This may be important, but it is you who needs to stay on task and be productive and keep yourself on track.
3. Get out & about (if not self-isolating)
Working from home shouldn’t mean you stay cooped up indoors all day. While you might not miss your daily commutes, it does guarantee that you leave the house at least once per day.
Get your shoes on and get outside and enjoy fresh air. This will also help undo mental blocks and give you a fresh pair of eyes for any tasks you are struggling with.
If weather permits and you can, why not set up your office on the patio? If you need the noise of an office, then there apps which play background noises such as chatter of a coffee shop.
4. Pick up the phone:
If you’re working from home, the chances are you will be alone, so you won’t get distracted by colleagues’ conversations and other office noises. When you’re at work, you’re more likely to engage with others but when you are working the whole day without speaking to anyone can become isolating.
Make some time to pick up the phone and have a real conversation, rather than rely on email and instant messaging.
Agree times when you will chat with colleagues or don’t be afraid to ring at other times (working hours) to check or catch up.
5. Take regular breaks:
It’s good to have a routine when working from home, but work shouldn’t become monotonous. And you should not stay stuck to your screen all day. It is important to take regular screen breaks and get away from your ‘desk’ and move around as you would in an office. Some experts recommend a technique which breaks your day into 25-minute chunks. Each chunk is followed by a 5-minute break.
It’s important to move around, stretch or even go into the garden or to the door anything which will move you away from your screen.
