I’ve been working from home in varying degrees since 2007. Media communications, PR and podcast creation all happen to be well suited for remote work, but not every job is.
As the coronavirus takes hold, more and more companies are telling their employees to work from home. As the outbreak has grown, some employees chose to do it, then individual team leaders encouraged their teams to avoid the office and then suddenly working from home has become a mandatory policy for entire companies.
Whether your job is ideal for working from home or not, this is your reality for the foreseeable future and that’s why I figure now is the time to share what I’ve learned over the years.
Although it may seem like a dream-come-true for many, after several days of being closed in, boredom, loneliness and frustration can creep in.
To avoid that, the important thing is to remain focused, structured and productive.
Dedicate a workspace
Not everyone has a dedicated workspace or room in their home that they can call a home office. However, you can make room for it.
If you have a spare room, you should set it aside as a dedicated workspace where you can have the peace and quiet you need to get work done.
For those who do not have a spare room, you could use a corner in your house as a work area, which other people in the house are not allowed to interrupt.
It is important to note that this workspace needs to be separated from rooms, people or devices that can cause distraction such as television or family conversations.
Work when you're at your most productive
Nobody sprints through their work from morning to evening as your motivation will naturally ebb and flow throughout the day.
When you're working from home, however, it's more important to know when those ebbs and flows will take place and plan your schedule around it.
To capitalise on your most productive periods, save your harder tasks for when you know you'll be in the right headspace for them. Use slower points of the day to knock out the easier, logistical tasks that are also on your plate.
Set up respect boundaries
Possibly the most important tip of all, and a potentially more difficult one to ensure, but setting up boundaries will provide you with a more familiar working environment.
These boundaries include talking to your loved ones and asking for them to respect that you’re working in your new area.
A good practice is informing your partner when it’s “office time” which will keep interactions to a minimum when needed. If you’re someone that messages your partner while at the office, you’ll know that hours can go by before you even read their text, let alone reply to it. Setting up that familiar separation at home is necessary.
Minimise distractions
It is very important to remain disciplined and focused while working from home if you hope to get anything done.
To do so, you should try as much as possible to remove yourself from any distractions as much as you can.
If there is noise in the neighbourhood or your home, you might consider getting noise-cancellation headphones.
If food or the television distract you, switch it off and work away from them.
If you have children around, you can take turns with your partner in taking care of them. Similarly, you can give your little ones chores or homework as you work.
Establish realistic goals
Working from home is very different from working in the office.
You may easily deceive yourself that since you are now working from home, you have more time and fewer distractions and can, therefore, get more done.
Although there is some truth in this, it is important to be realistic about your goals as you might get stressed when you fail to achieve aims that you set for yourself.
It is better to have three to five goals to achieve for the day and get as much done before lunch as people tend to slow down in the afternoon.
Use technology to stay connected
Working from home might help you focus on your work in the short term, but it can also make you feel cut off from the larger operation happening in the office. Instant messaging and videoconferencing tools can make it easy to check in with co-workers and remind you how your work is contributing to the big picture.
Take clear breaks
Don't let the guilt of working in the building you sleep in prevent you from taking five minutes to relax. Rather than just opening YouTube and watching some clips, use your breaks to get away from your desk. Go for a walk outside or spend time with others who might also be in the house.
Interact with other humans
Remember that you're working from home, not the moon. Interacting with other people during the day is allowed, even if they're not your co-workers. In fact, it's a good idea to see another face during the day when most of your workday is solitary.
Don’t hesitate to ask for what you need
If you’re employed by a company or organisation that supports your work-from-home setup, request the equipment you need as soon as you start working from home, or within a day or two when you realise you need something new.
Pick a definitive finishing time each day
You might be under the impression working from home establishes more work-life balance but be careful with that assumption. Working from home can also feel like being at a casino, you can get so caught up in your activity, in a relaxing environment, that you lose complete track of time.
In lieu of co-workers, whose packing up and leaving the office reminds you to do the same, set an alarm at the end of the day to indicate your normal work day is coming to an end. You don't have to stop at exactly that time, but knowing the workday is technically over can help you start the process of saving your work and calling it quits for the evening.
COVID-19 may be a blessing in disguise
Removing your commute, an hour for lunch, and the idle chit-chat that would normally fill your day in the office, you might find that you can actually get your work done in five or six hours thanks to fewer distractions, shorter breaks, and a greater ability to focus.
Finally, good luck and try to remain healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.