A lot has changed over the last couple of months and the way we work is one of the key changes! It is no secret that many organisations had already began to implement the "WFH - Work From Home" scheme with individuals who had a long commute or in some cases for the more senior employees. The reason why not all business had this approach coudl be due to a number of things, some are "stuck in the stone ages" and believe that if you are going to work then you need to be in the office, however others simply do not have the technology stack to support this.
Either way, many people have the privilege to work from home during the Coronavirus pandemic and I would like to share some tips around how I was able to remain productive when working from home and if anything, how I was able to get more work done at home instead of the office.
To keep it simple, I have split this in 5 key points:
1) The Basics
It is important that you are actually able to carry out your daily responsibilities, therefore you must have good WiFi connection. When I first started working for a Tech start up, working from home was something new to me and I had to adapt if this was going to work in the long run. I upgraded to faster package so that I can crack on and get sh*t done.
Don't be afraid to go old school, having your to do list on paper is something I have done throughout my life and it's the best way to keep yourself accountable on what you need to do and how far you are from completing your tasks. Some people use notes on their laptop/PC, others set emails reminders - find out what works best for you and stick to it.
2) The Cockpit
The place of work is very important to me, sometimes we don't necessarily realise but having your work spot keeps us productive and helps us switch to "Grind Mode". When I first started to work from home I didn't think too much about this, I had a different spot every day. Sometimes I would work from the coffee table in my front room, other days from bed, I even worked from the kitchen whilst making a coffee. But I soon realised that I need my own work station or even my own home office!
Not all of us have a spare room to use as an office or even have space for a desk so you have to be realistic but finding your comfortable spot which you don't need to move from every other day is key in my opinion.
What I ended up doing was buying a foldable desk along with a foldable chair which in total cost me £35. This allowed me to have my own pop up work station when necessary and has become my full time office since the Coronavirus Pandemic hit us. Few things I have done to make this even more comfortable: I bought a screen to connect to my laptop, wireless keyboard & mouse and of course my wireless phone charger and headphones. - these are not critical but a great addition if you can afford them right now.
3) Background
What works really well for me is putting the TV on for some background noise, this really helps me focus on what i'm doing. Music also works well, my advice is to try both and see what works for you. You may also find that you work better in silence.
4) Break It Up
When we work from home, we sometimes tend to ignore our lunchbreak and just power though but this will eventually burn you out. It is important to stop and make a coffee or grab some food throughout your day.
5) Life Goes On
Yes, being stuck at home for this long can really throw us off our usual routine but considering this is our new norm, we have to actively adapt and try to keep up with our hobbies and interests, within the lockdown rules.
It's important to get up and follow your normal routine, shower - coffee - workout or even just your shower and some TV before work can help you feel your normal day-to-day hasn't changed too much to affect your mental health. Have that beer after work, get on the phone to your mate or even have a virtual beer with them - stuff like this will help us keep some type of social life which will therefore keep us sane.
Try those and comment your thoughts below :)
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