Remote working is great, but how do you keep it efficient? We’ve got some tips for you.
Working from home always sounds like a good idea. No need to rush out of the house with still-wet hair, battle through the morning traffic and arrive at the office five minutes late with a bad takeaway coffee… you can have a leisurely morning making a brew, settle down on the sofa and pop open your laptop at 9am on the dot. Bliss!
But… working from home doesn’t always quite work like that, does it? Come 10.30am you’re eyeing up the washing pile and wondering if you can stick a quick load on before your conference call. At 1pm, the local café is calling and you ‘nip out’ for a sandwich that somehow takes two hours. The 3pm slump requires three episodes of Friends and a chocolate biscuit, and before you know it it’s 5.30pm and you’ve only replied to four emails all day.
Staying motivated and working efficiently is tougher when you’re not in an office space, but we’ve got some top tips to help you make the most of remote working.
Stick to your usual hours
It’s so tempting to laze in bed for a few hours and think you’ll work longer into the evening, but when 5.30pm rolls around you’ll really want to be done for the day. So don’t snooze your alarm – get up on time, start work at 9am and take a proper lunch break. You’ll be pleased you did when you’re finished on time.
Get up and dressed
No need to put on your power suit, but working from home doesn’t mean doing from bed in your Harry Potter pyjamas! Getting up and dressed will make you feel motivated and ready to start the day. It also helps separate ‘work’ and ‘home’ – when you’ve finished working, you can get back in your comfies and chill out.
Stay sociable
One of the biggest drawbacks to working from home is the lack of colleagues to discuss Love Island or gossip about the weekend with. Spending all day at home alone is pretty isolating and working without a break to chat over the kettle boiling can make the day go slowly. So pop out at lunchtime, go grab a coffee or a sandwich and say hello to some other humans. You’ll often find other remote workers doing the same thing!
Sort your desk space
You know what they say – tidy desk, tidy mind. Try not to work from the sofa – not only is it terrible for your posture (hello, neck and shoulder pain!) but it’s uncomfortable and you might find yourself distracted by the lure of daytime telly. If you have space, create an area dedicated to working – whether it’s a proper desk or just the kitchen table – and set yourself up there for the day.
Remember to switch off
When there’s no one to tell you its hometime, it’s easy to sit in one spot and work for hours and hours. But giving yourself a dedicated stop time will help you manage your time and keep you motivated. When you reach ‘hometime’, shut your laptop, stretch it out, go for a walk and distance yourself from work. It’s leisure time now – enjoy it!
