5 work from home best practices
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Working from home is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Okay that might be a little dramatic, but I do love every second of it. It was also a drastic change for me since I was previously working in retail management and commuting three hours each way. Traffic is the worst.
So between the crazy work hours and the drive time, working from home was a very big adjustment. And with everything that’s going on in the world right now, I thought it would be a good time to share the tips I’ve learned on staying productive and working efficiently while being in your own home.
So here you go — 5 tips on how to stay productive while working from home:
keep your typical work hours
It can be so easy to hit the snooze button a few extra times when you know you don’t have to report into the office. But keeping the structure of work hours is helpful to not only get all your work done but to also avoid over working. It can be difficult to put a hard stop on answering emails and calls and all the things when you don’t have to leave the premises.
get up and get ready
It’s so tempting to stay in your pajamas all day (and I won’t say I’ve never done it) but getting up and ready like a normal work day keeps you in the mindset that it’s a typical day of work. Now this doesn’t mean you have to put makeup on and you don’t necessarily even have to get dressed like you’re going to the office (hello, athleisurewear), but I suggest you at least put on clean clothes. You are still reporting to work, which leads me to my next tip.
have a separate work space
And you don’t need a full blown office space to make this work for you. Whether it’s your kitchen table or a spare bedroom, dedicate a small part of the home to your work area and make sure it’s free of clutter. This is your space to feel “at work” which can minimize distractions.
take breaks
This one is key. It can feel like you are cheating the system when you do your first load of laundry or coffee run or company time, but you take breaks in the office, so you deserve to take them at home. Plus, it’s been said those breaks actually make you more productive the rest of the day. So take them.
go outside
Similar to taking a break, but you can also take your work outside with you if you can. Fresh air does so much good when you’ve been stuck inside (and in the same building) for so long. Take a phone call while walking around the block, or sit on the patio soaking up the sunshine during your break. You’ll come back to your “desk” feeling very refreshed, trust me.
Well, I hope those tips on working from home are helpful! They might seem like small ideas, but they can make a huge difference in your productivity and your overall mental health. The last thing you want to do it get caught behind on work, or get burnt out from working too much!
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