10 Essential Tips for Successful Work from Home

Over the last few days, the world has gone a little crazy due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) with one of the common recommendations from many companies being for people to start working from home.

For the majority of people, this is new and exciting territory. But successfully working from home is not always easy. It requires discipline and the right attitude. As someone who has been working remotely for over 4 years, with the majority of my time spent, working from home, I thought I would share some of my learnings and top tips:

1. Behave as if you were going into an office

Set an alarm and get up (maybe later than usual as you can sleep when you would have normally been on the train!) Then, get ready for work - shower, shave, get dressed, have breakfast and be at your desk at the time you would normally be (i.e. 9am)

2. Create a workspace for yourself

Create a dedicated place to work. If you have an office or study, fantastic. If not, then find a quiet space where you can sit, focus and not get (too easily) distracted. Ideally if you have somewhere where you can leave your work, this is ideal.

It can also be useful to set some ground rules with others in your house (especially children) so they understand that you are working and they should treat you as if you are not there and actually in your office.

3. Take breaks

Put on a wash, empty the dishwasher, make the beds, make a cup of tea, read the paper, watch the news etc. Think about it this way... if you were in an office you would go grab a coffee and probably end up in a load of random 'water cooler' conversations or mini 'have you got a sec' meetings - so it is OK to do take some breaks whilst working at home. 

4. Get some fresh air

Go for a walk or maybe even pop out at lunchtime to go and grab a sandwich from the local shops. A change of scenery is good. (You could even do some exercise which is proven to help with attention, health and focus!)

5. Embrace technology

Use technology to help you... especially video conferencing. I do at least one video call a day and it has driven huge efficiency into my working existence. Google Hangouts, Skype and my personal favourite - Zoom.

Also, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Instant Messaging - can all be useful tools too.

6. Structure is important

You are in control of your own time. It can be easy to get distracted. So turn off (or even log out) of social media, plan ahead, write a 'to do' list and try and structure your day like you would if you were in the office. Get into something early in the day so that you start making some progress and the rest will roll from there.

7. Not every hour is created equal

Let's face it, some of us are morning people (not me!) and others are night owls (hi!). Our motivations can also change throughout the day with periods where we are 'on it' and others where we just 'aren't feeling it'. So my advice... work when you are feeling productive. Don't just sit at your desk achieving nothing. Come back when you're ready. (Within reason!)

8. Music & Atmosphere

If you find you work better with noise, try putting on some music. Create a playlist that motivates you without distracting you. In my case, I am partial to a bit of Country Music whilst I work. Or put the TV on in the background - ambient noise can be a good thing.

9. Human Interaction

Working from home can be lonely at times. So try and find a way of interacting with other people - whether that be via video conference, on the phone or with family/friends or shopkeepers in general. (Obviously not if you are in self-isolation!)

10. Choose when to stop

It is easy to assume that working from home will guarantee a better work-life balance. In truth, this is often not the case... on many occasions I find myself working longer hours and more intensely than if I was in an office. I get so caught up in my activity that I lose complete track of time. So try and pick a time when you will stop working for the day and then relax until the next day, where the fun and frolics can all start again!

I hope this helps anyone who is starting to work from home for the first time. I'd be keen to hear from other people who work in this way - so please share any other hints and tips in the comments below...

Good luck!

#workfromhome #workingremotely #workstyle #selfemployment