As trends are shifting towards more digitalization and there are more home office jobs emerging, how to work from home effectively is becoming a really hot topic. Working from home has been shown to help the environment however is it effective? When you consider the home office, amongst many positive effects there are also some negative ones, like the drop in productivity. If you’re also struggling to find effective ways to work from home, this blog is made for you! These tips and tricks will help you stay focused and end the working hours with a finished to-do list.
There are many open questions concerning the home office, such as the absence of social relationships, and the ability to focus on the right tasks. Being able to also be an effective leader when there is no leader in-person presence. While for some, avoiding commuting is a windfall, others miss the office environment and have a hard time completing their tasks.
Create a routine
Try to get up every day at the same time. If you set the alarm clock always at 7:00 a.m., your body will get used to this time, and waking up will be much easier. If you need extra motivation to wake up early, reward yourself with a treat or set up a 1-week challenge.
No Pyjamas
Act like you actually go to work: wake up early, have a shower, and put on an outdoor outfit. This does not just make the preparation for video conferences easier but you wouldn’t believe, how much more motivating a nice shirt than your PJs can be!
Stay organized
Write down a to-do list for the day and try to keep track of the time you spend on each task. Getting distracted at home is easier and it is important to be conscious of time passing by.
Kick-off daily check-ups
Have a quick, 10-15 minute kick-off call with a close colleague of yours. Then you’re not just forcing yourself to wake up early, but you also share your to-do list, so there’s one more motivator of actually finishing them and delivering what you planned for the day.
Create an adequate space for working
Get an extra screen, a comfortable chair, appropriate illumination, and a stable internet connection, and let some fresh air in from time to time! Having a designed space helps to maintain clear differentiation between working time and leisure time.
Set up a “chill-time budget”
Dedicate a pre-prepared amount of time for additional tasks and also track these on a different piece of paper. For example:
– overall 40 minutes of chill time during working hours, of which
- 10 minutes is for social media
- 20 minutes is one episode of your favorite series
- 10 minutes is for reading the news
Use incognito mode
When you need to research something, use incognito mode in order to stay logged out from your social accounts. This view will restrain you from “accidentally” shifting from a Google benchmark research into your Facebook account.
Avoid extreme multitasking
Try to do one thing at a time: for example, avoid cooking your lunch or preparing your breakfast while having your call! The risk is to make mistakes, given that the attention is divided and hence low.
Prepare your meals the day before
Don’t use your lunch break to actually cook lunch! It takes much more time and even the fastest cooks would feel like their lunch break is shortened because of the preparations.
Keep an ongoing communication with your colleagues
Contact them frequently and try to have regular weekly updates on projects. When working remotely, a lack of communication within the team and hindered data accessibility could slow down your rhythm, so try to stay updated!
Stay balanced
Try to eat healthily, maintain regular sleeping hours, and do some physical exercise. Many employees are not able to set boundaries and when your home becomes your office, it’s hard to have a break and disconnect.
Have noise around you
For some, complete silence is the best working condition, but many of us simply got used to constant motion and conversations in the office. Try to imitate this by leaving the tv/radio on, or your favorite playlist in the background.
And don’t forget: the working day has to end
Set a clear – preferably consistent – ending date for your working day. You know that you like to wake up later and you can not help the temptation of cooking your own lunch at noon? All of that is fine, but just remember to push your finishing time accordingly. Now cooking lunch doesn’t sound so tempting anymore, does it?! This is the time to focus on yourself, your need, and what you want to process in your free time.
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