Work from Home Like a Boss
At first, working from home may sound like a dream come true. You suddenly have the option to sleep in, work all day in your sweatpants, and hang with your pets 24/7, who wouldn’t want that? But then as time goes on, and the days start to blend together, you find yourself falling into a rut that you just can’t seem to get out of. We completely understand, I mean your whole lifestyle has practically been turned upside down! Its totally normal to take a while to adjust. This list of tips we have gathered for you is for when you’re ready to really buckle down and get things done, but all you need to do right now is kick back, relax, and read on!
Pretend you are still going into the office
This is one of the best tips we have ever received for working at home. By this we mean, try to stick to the exact same schedule you would at work and do everything you can to get yourself in that ‘work’ mindset. So, this means setting an alarm as you normally would, making a coffee and putting on some nice work clothes that aren’t your pyjamas. This also means that if you usually get into the office at 9 and leave around 5:30, keep those same hours at home! It is important to establish a clear start and ending time to work your day around, otherwise the hours will seem to drag on forever.
Choose a dedicated workspace
This one is pretty self-explanatory, but also quite important. It might be tempting to stay in bed all day and work from there, or to set up shop at the dining table, but studies have shown that bringing work into these typically ‘non-work’ areas will affect the associations your brain has made with these places. Bed is for being lazy, watching Netflix and going to sleep, and the table is for eating. Suddenly having to conduct work in these spots will most likely affect productivity. That is why we suggest finding a spot on its own, with no real associations attached, and letting that be your ‘get things done’ workstation.
Work when you’re feeling the most productive
Look, we’re all human. Its impossible to be on the grind from the early morning all the way up to dinner time. I mean, even Bill Gates must take breaks sometimes right?! So, to maximise your work potential, take note of when you yourself feel the most engaged with your work, and save big or important tasks for that time. Anyone can bang out a few emails and phone calls when they’re not completely feeling it, but those projects that require attention and care, save those for when you have reached your prime of the day.
Plan out what you’ll work on a day ahead
Here, a little prep work a day or two ahead can really pay off. How many times have we sat down to work and not actually known what to begin with first. Reply to emails? Make that phone call? Start that big presentation? When you’re faced with everythinggg you must get done, it is completely overwhelming, and when you’re working from home, it’ll seem like a better decision to do nothing and browse YouTube for a while instead. So, the simple solution is to assign some work for yourself in a little to do list the night before, so that in the morning you know what you’re doing and you’re ready to go!
Prepare your meals the night before
One of the great things about working from home is that the daily commute to and from the office has been completely eliminated. Now what this time shouldn’t be used for is for you to pretend you’re a Michelin star chef and start making yourself very elaborate breakfast and lunches, that eat into your overall work schedule. However, just because you’re in quarantine doesn’t mean you can’t still treat yourself, so instead, after work, with the time you have saved avoiding peak hour traffic, use it for a relaxing cooking session. There are a tonne of meal prep ideas for breakfasts and lunches on the internet so take that time and make the effort to cook something nutritious and delicious for yourself. Plus, looking forward to that yummy breakfast and lunch you made last night has been scientifically proven to get you out of bed quicker!
