If you’re after a few pointers on how to turn your home work life into the stuff of dreams, look no further!
Here are my top 10 work from home tips:
Schedule/Plan
This piece of advice is probably fairly common, but it’s common because in my experience it’s true!
Ever since I’ve had a daily routine or schedule, my remote work from home life has been a lot more rewarding and productive.
I find small changes to my routine work best, don’t try to reinvent the wheel on day one. Add one thing at a time, test and trial, and gradually you’ll have a daily schedule that suits tour needs.
Get Outdoors
I find this one so important. If it’s a 5 minute stroll to the shops or a 5k, just getting out and getting some fresh air breathes life into everything you’re doing.
I’m no psychiatrist, but the renewed sense of myself I have when I get back in always makes getting my ass up in the first place worth it.
If the weather’s awful or you really don’t feel up to it one day, try taking your laptop into the other room for an hour or so. Even a fresh outlook can help reframe your thinking.
Limit Distractions
Pets, babies, spouses, neighbors, to name but a few can all contribute to a disrupted home work life. Some distractions we can control and others we can’t
A good pair of noise cancelling headphones goes a long way to getting you to a state of workflow zen.
In extreme cases there are some cheap soundproofing options such as wall panelling that can help drown out noisy neighbours.
On the flipside, your phone, colleagues instant messaging you, a YouTube video you’ve been meaning to watch can all prevent you from going about your work.
Setting dedicated red time where you solely focus on tasks at hand, no email, no meetings, no messaging can really help you blitz through the chunkier bits of work.
Personalize Your Workspace
Adding a personal touch with plants, posters, pictures and any little trinkets that bring your workspace to life can really help get you through the day.
This post on home office essentials might help give you a few ideas.
The decor and colours can make a difference too, even if subliminally. Too many greys and neutral colours in your surroundings could be stifling your creativity.
Try mixing one thing in your workspace up every 3 months to help reinvigorate your working environment
Take Breaks
Another common mistake, and I’m very guilty of this, is sitting still for 4 hours ploughing through a piece of work or to do list thinking I’m some productivity king.
The work will still be there to get on with after 15 minutes believe me!
Set a reminder every two hours on your phone or take some more time to move about when you go to get food/go to the bathroom etc.
We’re not built to be sedentary for long periods. Move about and your body and mind will thank you that you did.
Ergonomics
Keeping on the mind and body vibe is the consideration for ergonomics. I spent the first 2 years of my work from home life crouched over a laptop. I’m not lying when I say I’m still paying for that in the knots in my neck and upper back.
Invest in a good ergonomic chair and a laptop stand so that your screen is at eye level. From my experience these two things are 90% of the problem – hunching over your laptop and a lack of upper back and neck support.
Get these two in order and you’ll be doing yourself a big favour.
Set Boundaries
When Covid arrived, and we had no option but to work from home, my first thought was to roll out of bed at 9, grab the laptop and work from under the covers. I quickly realised this was a bad idea for a lot of reasons.
There’s nothing wrong with working from your bed now and again, but I find setting clear boundaries between your home and your workspace helps me compartmentalize and get in the right frame of mind to be productive at work.
Telling your partner that you need a couple of hours to focus, or even your colleagues can be a great way to draw lines in the sand that make sure you stay on track.
Get Dressed
Now I don’t mean you have to be suited and booted all day, and I’ve had a fair few days myself working in my sweats
Ditching the slippers and dressing gown can help reframe your mind to get more aligned with the formalities of work.
You don’t have to do this everyday, but if you’re feeling a bit low, or downbeat about work, give it a try. You might find it freshens up your outlook.
Connect
It’s also important not to become too ravelled up in the day to day of work. Social interaction helps us unwind, give us perspective and see the world from different viewpoints.
Make time to connect with your colleagues in a more informal way. A chat on Slack or a casual catchup on Zoom helps us stay connected in a way that we might have lost since we’re spending less time in the office.
Work From Home Tips Conclusion
Hopefully these tips go some way to making your work from home life more pleasurable.
If you’re thinking about working outside of your home, make sure to take a look at my top tips for remote working too.
James Waite
Founder of Remoteopia, James has worked in remote roles for 6 years. After a stint in recruitment, he now works as a director of website strategy in tech.
