Working from home sounds great, right? Extra time in bed instead of commuting, lounge wear instead of business wear, decent coffee and peace and quiet... ahh, bliss! You are going to LOVE it... for approximately 1-2 days... trust me, you’ll soon miss even the most irritating of colleagues and it won’t be long before you crave that morning commute, just to get out of the house... and did you know, “peace and quiet” can soon become deafening!
I made the transition 9 months ago after 15 years of office life, the drive in, the morning cuppa, the friendly support of colleagues and an endless supply of people to bounce ideas off. I loved it, I sometimes miss it... it can be tough and it can get lonely, but once you’ve cracked it, you will appreciate the benefits it can bring. Below are my top tips for home working survival, for Covid-19 and beyond...
⭐️Keep up the commute! Get up at the same time you would normally and spend your commute time exercising (ideally) outside - walking, running, whatever takes your fancy. Fresh air is the best way to start your day and once you step back through your front door... you’re at work! 🏃♀️
⭐️Have a dedicated working space away from as many distractions as possible - do not put the TV on... you will turn into one of “those” people. 📺
⭐️Block out chunks of time to complete tasks and take a short break between each. A tea break, a walk round the block... just don’t put the TV on (see above), same goes for social media, you will lose hours of productive time! ☕️
⭐️Maintain as much human interaction as possible... call instead of email, a quick conversation can give you a real boost. Use Skype, Zoom etc to have face to face meetings, it keeps things interesting and if nothing else is a driver to dressed every day (at least from the waist up 😉)
⭐️Make sure friends and family know you are working... avoid the “I saw you were home so thought I’d give you a knock” - if it becomes an issue, politely ask people to support you with this transition (by leaving you alone!). 👨👩👦
⭐️Remember "Home Time"... unless you are inherently lazy or extremely easily distracted, you are likely to be more productive whilst at home, so when 5pm comes, don’t feel bad about “leaving early” - you’ve done enough, log off and switch off. It’s far too easy to let work time blend into family time so set yourself a cut off time and try to stick to it ⏰
Whether working from home is due to a change in role or in response to a (hopefully) short lived issue such as the Covid-19 pandemic, it can have a huge impact on our mental health. By building structure, routine and fresh air into your day, you’ll help yourself adapt to your new world and soon be reaping the benefits... which on occasion can involve a lie in and a day working in your PJs 😉
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