7 Tips for Making Your Work-From-Home Experience More Productive and Engaging!
7 Tips for Making Your Work-From-Home Experience More Productive and Engaging!
More and more companies are offering Work-From-Home (WFH) solutions to their employees, which means that they can save time on the commute to work and can instead work from the comfort of their own home. It can sometimes even spare them the hassle of moving from one city for accepting a job offer. There are are many proven benefits of working from home but let’s admit it… it also comes with a few temptations such as staying in our pajama pants all day, working from the couch, and a few extra trips to the kitchen for a snack or two. This blog post aims to give you a few tips on how to make your WFH experience more productive, engaging, and structured.
1. Set your Alarm Clock to Secure your Get-Started-Routine
Congrats! You have escaped the hassle and morning stress of getting to work by, bus, metro or car so that you can stay in bed just until a few minutes before starting your workday, right? As tempting as this sounds, it is recommended that you create an enjoyable morning routine with enough time that allows your body and mind to wake up fully before you start your day. Set your alarm so that you have enough time to wash your face and enjoy a cup of coffee (or whatever beverage you prefer), listen to your favorite music or watch/read the news, put on your work attire, and get started when it is time to clock in. Having a morning routine or get-started-routine is a great way for the body and mind to get prepared in peace and calm for a successful day to come.
2. Set Up a Dedicated Office Space
No matter if you have a have a spare room in your house to create a home office or if you have a studio apartment or a room in a shared flat, make sure that you dedicate a specific area to work from. It’s important that you have enough space for your desktop/laptop and other equipment you might need. Make sure that you have enough light and that the work area is clean and free from clutter. Consider having a small plant on your desk as it improves the air quality and reduces fatigue and stress. You can also place anything on the desk that inspires and motivates you, may it be a picture of your dream destination, your dog, or a favorite quote.
3. Socialize with Colleagues
When you work from home you might get so caught up in our own tasks and forget to catch up with team member and colleagues and suddenly start feeling isolated or lonely. Make sure to reach out to your colleagues on the messaging/chat apps or systems that your company provide. Be involved in group conversations and don’t be shy to reach out to your colleagues in a private chat too. You can also schedule your coffee or lunch break with your colleagues to increase face time with them! Figure out how much interaction you need to feel included and connected, and make sure to nurture your relationships with your colleagues.
4. Take your breaks
When you are on the roll and feeling very productive, you might tend to skip your breaks and let the time fly by. Suddenly, by the end of the day you end up with coffee cups, soda cans, plates, and empty snack bags all over our desk, with itchy eyes and too exhausted to do anything else after work. Do your best to move away from your desk a few times per day so that you can rest your eyes from the screen and have an intentional snack if you want. Stand up and let your legs and back stretch properly and consider going outside for a small walk just to get some fresh air and sunlight. These small breaks allow you to reflect over your own work, regain energy and be more productive when you get back to the desk. Most importantly, once you completed your workday you will have energy to enjoy your free time!
5. Prepare Your Meals the Day Before
Having complete access to our own kitchen is comfortable but you might be spending more time than you think going back and forth to the fridge for a snack. It might even be tempting to spend some extra time preparing a nice lunch, chopping vegetables, frying eggs and cooking rice… but would we really do that at a traditional office, or would we have a Tupperware ready with food? Stay efficient and professional by prepping your food the day before or having a quick ready-made option in the fridge for when it is you lunch break.
6. Bring Your Work to Home - Not Your Home to Work!
As we have repeatedly mentioned, WFH provides comfort and flexibility. However, do not multitask by mixing up house choirs with work tasks. It is called work-from-home which means that you bring your work tasks to your home and that the work tasks are to be prioritized during work hours. With other words, doing the laundry, vacuuming, and mopping the floors is not related to your professional persona and should not be carried out during your work hour. Separate your personal and professional tasks while you are on the clock to stay focused, professional, and efficient.
7. End Your Day with a Closing Routine
Equally as important as your getting-started-routine is your closing-routine. Make sure to do your to do list for the coming day, say bye to your colleagues/team on the chat and close all the windows on your laptop. Clean your desk and ensure that it is neat and tidy so that when you are back to work the next day you can open your laptop and start your new successful workday.
To sum up, WFH solutions provides comfort and flexibility to employees and there are several ways to creating an environment and structure for yourself in your home that boost your productivity and engagement in your work. Ensure that you wake up on time and allow yourself to have a getting-started-routine that includes washing up, having breakfast, and dressing up to work. Dedicate a specific area in your home for you work and set up a workstation that is inspiring and comfortable for you to sit. Remember to socialize with your colleagues on chats, and make sure to take breaks and some fresh air too. Prepare your food the day before/have ready made lunch options in your fridge so that you don’t waste time in the kitchen on cooking a five-course meal. As tempting as it might be to get a few house chores out of the way during work hours, separate our professional life from your private life and take care of the chores after work hours. Finally, remember to say goodbye to your colleagues before you close your laptop and clean up your desk so that it is clean and neat for the following workday.
If you already have WFH job, I hope that these tips can contribute to your productivity and engagement in your work and with your colleagues. If you are looking for a job with a WFH solution, please reach out to us and we will do our best to find you a suitable job where these tips will come handy. 😉 You can find all our open positions here