WFH has become one of the most used phrases on the internet right now, with the outbreak of Coronavirus its super important to make sure we’re all being as safe as possible and limiting the spread of the virus as much as we can.
Working from home can be a bit of a novelty for a couple of days but when it gets down to it, we all still need to crack on with the to do lists and keep going. Working at home has many distractions for those of us who aren’t used to it so we thought it would be a good idea to share our top tips on how to be your most productive self!
- Wake up at your normal time
If you’re normally in the office at 9am, ensure that you wake up and get yourself ready as you would usually (by all means, if you commute then have that extra half an hour to yourself!). Sticking to a routine makes it much easier to carry on with your work, if you start taking long lie ins, you’ll end up working long into your evenings trying to get everything done!
- Get dressed
Again, this about trying to stick to routine. If you stay sat in your PJ’s all day, it’s going to feel like Christmas. We’re not saying to need to sit in your jeans or a suit and tie but just make sure you get up, shower and get yourself dressed… loungewear is totally ok by the way!
- Set up a work-space away from your living space
If you can, set up somewhere you can work away from where you normally relax. This can be difficult if you live in a flat or don’t have anywhere to create a ‘mini office’. But try to keep your work life as separate as you can. This will help to create some sense of normality of work time/free time.
- Make a ‘to do’ list every day
Make sure you set yourself a list of tasks you want to get completed in the day. This will help you keep on track of where you’re up to and give you clear motivation for the day ahead. Ranking these in priority order will help to make sure you get urgent tasks done first and then if you don’t get to the bottom of the list, these can roll over to the next day. Much like you would do if you were in the office.
- Use technology to stay connected to your colleagues
Working from home can make you feel a bit cut off from the world and particularly if you’re not used to it. There’s so much technology that makes it super easy to stay connected with your colleagues so make sure you use it. Instant messaging and video calls are essential to check back in with your co workers and keep on top of the tasks you’re doing.
- Communicate expectations with anyone else in the house
It’s a very weird time we’re experiencing at the moment and now with school closures to add to the mix, there might be a lot more people in the house than usual. Make sure you communicate to everyone else that you might be at home, but you are ‘working’ and that they need to respect that.
- Take regular breaks
It’s essential that you take regular breaks from your work otherwise you’ll end up getting constantly distracted. When you’re in the office we all often take breaks by having a chat with colleagues, making hot drinks etc. so you still need to make sure you plan these in at home to ensure when you can come back and get on with a task productively.
- Do some exercise
Moving your body and switching off from work is essential for productivity. Take a walk round the park, do a YouTube home workout or stretch out on your yoga mat. Just take some time to switch off and move your body throughout the day.
- LOG OFF!
Try to maintain as much routine as possible, like you would normally in the office. If you usually finish work at 5pm, log off and switch your computer off for the night! It can be easy when you’re working from home to lose the sense of routine but what you need to remember is that this is essential for making sure you carry on as productively as you can!
