Working from home? Be productive tips!
With the COVID-19, quarantining, countries/cities being on shutdown, schools closing, and the obsession with cleaning supplies and toilet paper, this is a crucial time for those now working from home.
Working from home for the first time can be a daunting thing and it's easy it is to get distracted and tempted to do other things. Like catching up on last night shows that you weren’t able to watch might sound like a good idea, but it can turn into a form of procrastination if there’s no one telling you to get back to work and with business relying on trust in their employees here are a few productivity tips for working from home.
1. Stick to a schedule, and really stick to it!
The goal here is to try and replicate your working day during your company's core working hours. If you normally make calls to clients or customers from 9am to 11am, do that. If you normally gather in a the kitchen for a natter and a coffee at 11:30am with your team/colleagues, do that (albeit virtually). With tools like Zoom, Skype, Hangouts or any proprietary software you firm has there's no reason not to stay in touch)
The key is to try as much as possible to replicate your working day, just from home for now.
2. Get Dressed!
The temptation is clear, who's going to see me? I'll just wear my PJ's all day. That will be the very day your boss tries to video call you for a catch up and nothing gives more of an impression of slackness than someone in their PJ's with hair looking like they've been dragged through a hedge backwards. So, get up as you would, shower and dress in a business like fashion. Get yourself a healthy breakfast ( your commute time has gone so treat yourself here!) and arrive in your home office set up whatever that looks like ready for business.
3. Create the space
Not all of us have access to a study so up and down the country there are now people working from home in hastily arranged spaces of their homes and it's scientific fact that our environment can impact our productivity so if you want to get work done it's time to create a productive working area. Free it of clutter, try to keep out of sight of young children if at all possible (they will distract you) and use the same space once created. This is your new office after all.
4. Watch what you eat
Does your fridge/pantry at work have all your favourite foods in it? Chances are it just has a kettle, some tea and coffee and maybe access to some apres conference/board meeting biscuits once a month. Working from home can mean you grazing on food throughout the day but this is where self discipline is key. Stick to your office schedule, drink plenty of tea/coffee/water as you would at work and eat lunch at the same time as you do in the workplace.