I’m fortunate that having been freelance for the past four years I’m very accustomed to the trials and tribulations of working from home. I know the initial joy of taking calls in your PJ’s or tapping away on your laptop from bed, followed by increasing sense of distraction all around you and the final realisation that perhaps it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Below is some of the wisdom (I hope) I’ve incurred over the past four years of working from home.
1. Create a morning routine
It can be easy to roll straight out of bed and straight into your emails or perhaps to procrastinate for a little bit too long now you don’t have the prospect of a commute, but trust me when I say that long-term neither of these methods is effective. Instead, establish a routine that prepares you for the work day ahead. That might be labouring over your morning coffee and breakfast, going on a walk with a podcast or moving your body.
2. Designate a work space
Again, as much as we all love our sofas and beds, try to avoid making these your permanent work station whilst at home. Find a space – like a desk or the dining table – which you can free from clutter and distractions in order to work. If you’re working at home with others; designate a “quiet” work space and a separate space where you take calls or meetings.
3. Flow first, admin second
This tip has been a game-changer for me when it comes to work. As tempting as it is to want to get admin tasks out of the way first thing, start your day with creativity instead. In positive psychology, this is called a state of “flow”; whereby we are focused, energized and fully immersed in an activity. In my experience, admin and menial tasks (i.e. emails) drain our capacity for flow. All of my best ideas and “lightbulb” moments come at the start of my day, so I dedicate this time to flow, leaving admin to follow.
4. Plan out your day
Writing my to-do list for the next day the night before has been another game-changer for me. This allows me to start the next day with perfect clarity as to what I need to do. Structure your day around specific tasks, meetings and deadlines, along with making time for regular breaks, movement and any household tasks.
5. Remove distractions
We are all guilty of procrastinating, especially when the task at hand is a difficult one (I once deep cleaned my flat, cleared out my wardrobe and re-organised my kitchen cupboards in a bid to avoid finishing my end of year expenses and tax return). Working at home presents even more opportunities to freely procrastinate, so make it easier for yourself by removing distractions. Keep the TV off, put your phone on aeroplane mode (or at least turn off notifications) and keep your work-space free of clutter.
6. Move regularly
Moving doesn’t need to always be strenuous or sweaty or challenging, it could be simply a walk or a stretch but some of movement every day has so many benefits for your body and mind. I aim to move everyday, even if it’s just a walk
7. Be realistic with your to-do list
I’m a recovering try-to-cram-in-29384-things-into-one-day person. It’s not a negative thing to aim high, but writing down only what you can genuinely, feasibly do ensures you finish the day feeling accomplished and productive rather than frustrated and dissatisfied. Trust me on this one, you do not need to go to the post office or de-clutter your cupboards if you also have two calls and a deadline looming.
8. Schedule in your meals
Working from home with the fridge mere feet away from you can mean the temptation to graze throughout the day is high. Whilst we are probably all partial to some dairy milk buttons or crumpets with butter, I wouldn’t advise subsisting on buttons or crumpets alone. Do try to schedule in a proper lunch break each day, along with shorter breaks complete with snacks (of course). Do also try to eat away from your laptop for a change of scenery.
9. Use technology to aid your productivity
As much as modern technology can hinder our productivity, it can also work to our advantage if we utilise some of the amazing tools available to us. I love Forest to aid concentration, Zoom for video conferencing, Slack for work chats, Google suite to share files and update collaborative work in real time and Asana for task delegation and management.
10. Establish boundaries
When our work and home space merge into one it’s easy to lose all concept of boundaries. It’s tempting to work late because your laptop is right there or to reply to emails as soon as you wake up. It seems harder to say “no” to yet another Zoom call because, well, what else are you doing right now whilst in lockdown? But setting boundaries is vital to avoid burn out and just because more time available to us does not mean that every second of that time needs to be filled with doing, more often than not we need to dedicate more time to just being.