7 Tips & Tricks for Working From Home 

Making the shift from working in an office to working from home is sometimes difficult, but with these tips and tricks, you can not only take advantage of the flexibilities of working from home, but also find your most efficient work self. 

  1. Find Your Space: It’s really important for work-life balance to have a space that is all about work. Maybe this is a desk or a certain spot on your couch, but it’s the spot your mind will start associating with working. This will help you get into a work mindset and focus on the tasks you need to complete instead of all the other things you might need to do that day.
  2. Don’t work in relaxation spaces: This is really important for your stress level. Don’t work while sitting in bed or where you typically relax. You won’t be able to quiet your mind and turn off work in the same way when you work in these spaces. Fast Company puts it this way “The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard backs up the idea that work shouldn’t happen where you sleep. They say, “Keeping computers, TVs, and work materials out of the room will strengthen the mental association between your bedroom and sleep.”
  3. Find Ways to Interact: Right now this is a bit difficult, but it’s important to still connect with others since you’re largely alone at work when you’re remote. Try to call a co-worker instead of sending an email. Try facetiming for a meeting. Find ways to stay grounded in the culture and vision of your workplace even if it’s from a distance. 
  4. Be Ok in PJ’s: If it’s your style to get up and get ready for work, putting on makeup, business clothes etc, that’s great. However, for most of us, we’re most efficient when we’re comfortable which is a large reason why companies have moved to casual workplaces. Thrive Global shows in their survey and research that workwear is directly related to one’s happiness at work. When employees are able to wear a broader range of clothing, they are happier, feeling they can be their authentic selves. Being at home means that range of clothing is much wider than if you were going into the office, even in a casual dress code office. You can wear your comfiest things!
  5. Schedule Out Your Day: Many times working from home will mean fewer meetings. This let’s you get a ton of work done, usually. It’s also easy to get distracted by the pile of laundry or the dishes in the sink. Use your calendar to schedule tasks so that you stay focused and efficient all day.
  6. Make Time for Breaks: There are no breaks in meetings or empty offices when you’re at home. The indicators that it’s time to eat or take a coffee break are less obvious. Instead, you have to make time for these breaks. Add these to your calendar too! Since you’re at home, maybe your coffee break is actually a dishes break or a mid-day load of laundry. Feel free to re-define the word “break”.
  7. Stop Working: Similar to forgetting breaks, it’s easy to keep working all the time when you’re at home. Set boundaries or work hours just like you would do at work. Find something to do that resets your mind after finishing work. Remember, you don’t have that commute to transition from a work mindset to being at home. You could do a workout, take a walk in nature or around your neighborhood or read a chapter of a book you enjoy. We also have a great easy listening playlist for you to enjoy! 

Whether you’re temporarily working remotely due to the Spring 2020 COVID-19 emergency, starting a new remote role, or have the flexibility to work from home a few days a week, these tips may help you navigate the transition to working from home. Have another tip that’s been perfect for you? We’d love to hear it in the comments!

Comments

  1. Valerie says:

    As someone who finds herself working from home now, I appreciated these tips! This past week has felt disorganized and I think this will help make for a more productive second week.

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