It will come as no surprise that working from home isn’t as glam as it’s perceived to be! Yes it has its perks – taking your laptop to a cafe or working in your loungewear – but it also comes with a lot of challenges. Discipline plays a huge role in making sure you are productive and stay on track when working from home. Particularly during the pandemic when so many of us have had to quickly change our work patterns and procedures to an at home environment, we have put together our top tips for getting the most out of your working from home set up. Take a look below…
1.Take it seriously.
Yes, you can set your own hours and create a schedule that suits you with plenty more flexibility, but treat your home office environment like you would a typical office environment. Having a set routine encourages your brain and behaviour to know when it’s on, it’s on. Start and finish work at the same time every day and take breaks when you would usually take breaks.
2.Create a productive workspace & separate it from your lifestyle.
This is a big one. Having separate spaces for living and working at home is crucial to your ‘switch off’ mentality. Is there anything worse than sitting on the couch at night and looking at the coffee table covered in client work and papers!? If possible, separate your home office space or create quick and easy filing systems to pack away your work at the close of day. Some of the most important elements to consider when designing your workspace for productivity include: an ergonomic chair, a large workbench or deskspace, natural lighting and windows, plants
plants plants, decor such as candles that represent you and what you love.
3.Adopt productive practices, be clear on your goals and time block your tasks.
Let’s be honest, we’ve all had those days where you look up from the computer and think “how the hell is it 3pm!?” Spend time before work planning and setting up your day for success with measurable goals and time blocking your tasks to reach those goals. There are so many incredible planners to help with this. Write down everything you need to achieve (big goals) and all the steps you need to do to get there (little goals).
4.Always look after your physical & mental health above all else.
This is such an obvious one but also the one that is most overlooked. We’ve heard it all before: drink water, eat healthy and exercise. But when work and life gets busy, we too often push these priorities to the back when really they play such a role in all other aspects of our work life. Meal prepping healthy food even when you work from home (with constant access to the fridge) saves you so much time and ensures you are consuming wholesome food for long term productivity and sustenance. Alongside this, find a form of exercise that you love – walking, pilates, yoga etc. and schedule it on your daily planner as a non-negotiable. It should be up there as a daily priority!
We hope our top tips help you create a positive and productive work environment that you love and helps you thrive in! Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you never miss a thing from Sweeter Social – we have so much in store for you.
x Teneal
