Whether working from home is new to you, or you are a well-seasoned remote worker, it always helps to have a few extra tips. JBP has compiled a few helpful hints to help boost productivity, keep life and work balanced, and to nurture connections with colleagues and clients alike.
Find your own space
It’s important to find a space that works for you.
There is currently an endless supply of blogs, lists, and Instagram posts online telling people to avoid setting up their new workspace at their bedroom desk or from your sofa. “Keep your work and your sleep/life/relaxation separate!” they cry.
There is no point forcing yourself to work from the kitchen table if it’s the coldest or busiest room in the house, not when that desk in your bedroom has great sunlight, is in a peaceful spot and is perfectly positioned near a radiator. Think about where you feel most comfortable and then make that space your own.
Get some fresh air
Go for a walk outside before work, on one of your breaks, or after you have clocked off for the day (to add to that ‘coming home’ feeling).
If you have a garden (or even just a nice big window), make use of it and if the weather and technology allow, take a break from your indoors office space with a brew and a laptop for a different morning emails routine.
Make a list
Keeping a handle on your work when you are outside of the office can be tricky. Breaking down your day into workable blocks and identifying tasks to be completed in those blocks is a helpful way to navigate the workday and make sure that you are taking breaks too. Grab yourself a hot drink, you deserve it!
Keep moving
In an office, we have lots of reasons to leave our desks. When all your meetings and catch-ups are done online, it’s easy to stay sitting down for too long. Remember to keep moving – try scheduling in stretches or taking a call whilst walking around the house. Make the most of your extra working space.
Stay Connected
Staying connected to colleagues is a vital part of working life. When you’re in the office this can come a lot more naturally. Working from home is a bit more difficult, connecting is no longer a case of simply offering to make the next round of tea or going out for Friday drinks.
Email, Phone, Slack, Microsoft Teams – there are now a lot of ways to stay connected to your team to get work done. But it’s equally as important to stay connected in other ways. See if you can co-ordinate tea-breaks with your colleagues and video call whilst the kettle boils or drop them a message at the end of the day to catch up with them.