Working From Home: Top Tips and Tricks

Over the past couple of years, the world has changed dramatically. Nobody could have anticipated the coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic and nobody could have expected the measures that governments around the world have put in place to slow and minimise the spread of the virus. Social distancing and social isolation have changed the way we live our lives on a day to day basis and one major change that many of us have experienced as a result of this pandemic is a switch to working from home. This is a big upheaval and has seen many of us struggle to get to grips with this new way of working. We’re used to working in offices where we can work with our colleagues on a face to face basis. We’re used to separating work and home. Of course, there are perks to working from home that many of us enjoy, but what can we do to ensure that we’re still working to the utmost of our ability from our own four walls? Here are some top tips to help you along the way!

Maintain Routine Whilst Working From Home

The first step that you need to take when working from home is to ensure that you still have routine in your life. When we go to the office, we tend to structure our days in a way that is productive and ensures that we can work hard. When we work from home, we’re surrounded by more distractions and can begin to struggle to keep on track. Some good ideas include making sure that you still get up, get showered and  get dressed before working. All too many remote workers roll straight out of bed onto their laptops and this doesn’t give them sufficient time to wake up and get alert. You should also make sure that you still eat breakfast before the start of the working day. Don’t try to do this at the same time as working from home, as you reduce your working hours and may miss out on tasks or deadlines as a result.

Let Your Employer Know When You Need Help

Of course, working from home is a big change. Chances are, you may need some support along the way. However, your employer won’t know that you need help unless you flag it. So notify them or your manager if there’s anything you’re struggling with. Chances are, they’ll be able to offer some sort of solution. For example, if you’re worried about cyber security when working from your own home or device, ask if you can get some cyber security awareness training. If you’re finding time management difficult, see if they have any tips and tricks such as time blocking that could guide you in the right direction. When it comes down to it, most employers are eager to ensure that their staff have everything they need to work to a high standard.

Avoid Overworking

When you work from home, your work laptop is available to you around the clock. But make sure that you close it when you finish work and only open it at the start of the next working day. Overworking won’t do you any favours and will likely only result in burnout, which can prove detrimental to your health and your work.

Now, these are just a few suggestions to get the ball rolling. But each can help to significantly improve your experience of working from home!