Past three years have brought about a huge work dynamic shift and many of us started to work from home. Many of us have figured out how to be even more effective, while others still struggle on the daily basis. Even with some companies keep pushing for working from their physical office, telecommuting has become a large part of our lives and is here to stay, at least for some.
So if you are working from home and need some advice, here is how to be your most effective self without burning out.
Set up a designated workspace
I know not everybody has a lot of space to work with at home, but do your best to create a designated workspace for yourself. It should be comfortable, well-lit and include all the tools (whether it’s a computer, printer or a ton of pens) you need to do your job. Your space also should be comfortable for sitting at for extended periods of time on a daily basis. I know that staying in bed or stretching out on the couch sounds amazing, but can you stay in that position all day, five days per week without giving yourself back problems?
Stick to a schedule
When you work from home, it’s easy to let your work life and home life merge together. You are always on your phone and computer, taking care of business. But you are also always dealing with laundry, running errands and every other chore that’s guilt tripping you all day long.
A really effective tool to handle this is creating a set schedule and a routine that separates the two lives. For example, I have a dog. I start work when we come back from a walk – it’s my ‘arrival at the office’ and then I leave work at the end of the day by walking her again. This routine gives my brain time to shift gears between work and leisure. I heard of people leaving home to get coffee at their local coffee shop in the morning. Establish a routine that makes sense for you and that will serve as a ‘virtual commute for you.
And in case you are a dog person, here is my little ‘virtual commute’ companion:
Avoid distractions
When we work from the office, we are used to our coworkers and our phones interrupting our days. But when you get to telecommute, it’s a whole another level! I mean, how can you say no to this face:
Sadly, you have to!
I know, this post is turning into a set of pictures of my dog. But I can’t help it – she is my ‘office mate’ while I work from home. She’s also really cute 😉.
Some people say they want to work from home so they don’t have to pay for childcare. Unless your child is old enough to entertain themselves for the entire time you are working, this is not a great solution. You will be constantly interrupted and do you remember this post on multitasking? Yes, you will be wasting a lot of time and not doing well at either working or child care.
You may also need to find a way to hide your chores from yourself, so you don’t keep seeing them out of a corner of your eye. Maybe the laundry could stay a bit longer in the drier? Or be moved to a room you are not working from? Whatever your distraction is, you will need to find a solution that works for you for putting it out of your mind.
As to family and friends interrupting: establish boundaries and enforce them. Make sure that working from home is not the same thing as sitting around at home all day. You are, in fact, working. I really hope that the years of telecommuting many of us were forced into have helped the office-bound gained some understanding for this fact.
Take breaks
The flip side to being distracted by ‘life’ when you are at home: you don’t have the ‘office life’ to distract you from working. Make sure to take regular breaks to give your brain time to regroup and recharge. I know it can be tempting to just plow through it all at once, but it’s not healthy. You will just burn out faster this way. When it’s nice and sunny, just follow Mal’s example (who has such a ruff life!):
Prioritize tasks
A recurring theme in time management: prioritize your tasks! When you are home alone, it’s even easier to focus on the wrong activities that aren’t moving you forward. You don’t have your team around to check on you or chat with you, so it’s easier to choose poorly. Make sure you are on top of what needs to be done and when it needs to be finished.
Stay connected
An unfortunate side effect of working from home is feeling lonely and isolated. Some people combat by occasionally working from a coworking space or a coffee shop – both great answers if all you are looking for is seeing other human faces.
However, these do not address the other issue: feeling disconnected from work. You can no longer rely on ‘water cooler talk’ to stay plugged in. Fortunately, technology is here to help us – establish regular meet-ups, catch-up and keep various lines of communication, including teleconferencing open. It’s also helpful to occasionally see your coworkers in person, so every once in a while, your team (or company) should arrange some get-togethers, whether it be in form of work meetings or social events.
Get dressed
And I don’t just mean ‘make sure you’re not naked’. Many people opt for working with home in their pjs or sweats. It’s really tempting, I get it – those clothes are comfortable. However, research has shown that getting dressed more professionally puts you in a more professional frame of mind. In the long run, it will help you work better.
My little coworker is now settled for her nap, so it’s time for me to be productive! How about you?