If you are finding yourself having to work from home, due to COVID-19 or due to any other circumstance, these tips are for you. I have been working from home for over 7 years and although its more amazing than not, it has its own set of challenges. Sometimes I struggle with productivity, other times the feeling of isolation; and other times finding my priorities being shifted to my ever-growing list of personal things that need to get done and not so much on work. The struggle is still there but I have also gotten better! I am sharing some tips of what I’ve learned along the way.
Have a designated work space. Ideally this place is not your bed, it’s best to separate the two. This is a place you dont mind being in for several few hours, its comfortable, but not to comfortable, and it’s relatively quiet.
Work in a well lit area as natural light really helps. I am drawn to sunlight and I feel most people are. I’m like a plant, it gives me energy. Seriously though, according to research, this is a must. Do not believe me, see below -
“The research by Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that office workers exposed to natural light slept better, were happier, reported better health and were more likely to be active throughout the day than their counterparts in windowless offices.
The findings indicate that positioning workers near windows is an “overlooked opportunity to improve health and fitness,” said Phyllis Zee, senior author of the report, a neurologist, sleep specialist and professor of neurology with Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.” (Full article )
No TV but if the noise helps (like it does for me), put on something that doesn’t require much attention. As we all have learned, the human brain can’t technically multi-task, but depending on the intensity of the activity, a little TV or music may not hurt any. I call my TV my “coworker” smile.
Set daily goals and keep a to-do list to stay on target. This one is pretty self explanatory but it does help to have daily targets and ways to get there. Make it realistic too, add in some personal stuff, (i.e. I need to finish two loads of laundry plus attend 5 meetings, finish 2 reports, etc etc).
Move around and take breaks (but not too many). It is isolating and it can drain your energy, esp if you are an extrovert. Enjoy some of the flexibility of being in the comfort of your own home, stretch, walk around, take care of a quick personal goal, hydrate, something.
With kids around, have plenty of activities, snacks, and a plan. If you have a meeting, exercise positive re-enforcement and trade them something they really want for their oath to be absolutely quiet (sounds like a bribe, right?) or give them some screen-time (APA says kids can have up to 2 hours a day). I will preface this by saying that my kids are rarely home with me while working, so my advice here is limited.
With kids around, and if you have significant other in the same boat, take turns...teamwork makes the dream-work
Having a change of scenery for lunch is always a good idea. If you can’t leave the house, maybe go eat on the patio/porch or a new area in your house.
Get dressed for the day (totally for newbies). It may help you feel more prepared for the day. For me personally, on a good day, I get out of my PJs only to put on gym clothes.
Grab some caffeine or whatever you use to give you a “pick me up”. It’s easy to get tired when you are spending most of the day confined to one spot with little to know human interaction, so definitely grab a cup of coffee or something to help you keep going! The afternoon slump really gets me all the time and I find myself wanting to swim in a cup of black tea or coffee.
Beware of over snacking and over-working! In some cases you can find yourself indulging on all your pantry goodies and/or not stopping work because it is right there, so why not?
I am preaching to the choir with this list as stated above, I definitely have my struggles! Some-days I am self motivated and ready to conquer the work day, other days I am fighting against what I actually would prefer to be doing to get work done! Those days don’t always end in victory.
I hope these help you! If you have comments or any other tips, I’d love to hear them! Drop a comment below.
As always, thanks for reading XoXo.