Working at home has now become the ‘new normal’ for many people, and working in a traditional office environment already feels like a relic from a bygone era. But as so many have found, making the transition from the traditional office environment to a home office situation can be challenging. Here, we take a look at how working at home can be made more effective in 7 simple steps.
SEPARATE PHONE NUMBERS
Separating your work and home life by using different phone numbers for each will help to make your home working arrangement more effective, streamlining your output throughout the day and allowing you to turn off in the evening, too.
Having a work number means that you can keep work related communication within the hours of your working day and prevent work from bleeding into your family life. Equally, having a personal number for family and friends means that you can move through your working day without the interruption of personal calls. What’s more, having a dedicated work phone allows you to keep off those pesky, ever distracting apps as you tackle your deadlines, spreadsheets and Zoom calls.
KEEP OFFICE HOURS
Having your office so close to the rest of your life – physically and mentally – can mean that your working hours become gradually elongated, never giving you time to switch off and relax. It is important to keep the same office hours at home as you would in a more traditional office setting to prevent your work/life balance becoming skewed in the former’s favour.
Setting locks on your devices can help with this, as well as sticking to a dedicated office space rather than simply having your laptop and files sprawled over the bedroom floor.
MAKE ERGONOMIC EFFORTS
It’s essential that you’re using an office chair that suits your needs and your body, rather than a hastily assembled set up that does your posture no favours at all.
The experts at Office Reality suggest that ‘’a well designed comfortable seating option is therefore essential for improving posture and performance, whilst preventing potential damage to your back, neck, and shoulders’’.
When you are sitting for a prolonged period of time it is important to be comfortable. A sturdy and comfortable seat is a vital element when looking to make home working more effective as is the adaptability and flexibility of your chair.
Your desk is also a key factor when it comes to making working from home more effective and it is important to make sure that your desk offers you plenty of space and a good level of sturdiness. Your chair and desk are the tools of your trade when working at home, and spending time and effort selecting the right ones to suit you is time well invested.
SOCIALISING WITH CO-WORKERS
Staying connected with co-workers is important to effective home working as a feeling of isolation can be damaging to both productivity and wellbeing. Even if the only way to connect is virtually, it is important to keep the office banter alive and share thoughts, ideas and experiences with each other. Though it’s not possible to gather around the water cooler for a gossip, a sense of harmony with your colleagues an still be harnessed from home.
DEDICATED SPACE
Find a space in your house that you can make your own and dedicate to home working. Balancing your laptop on your knee on the sofa, or sitting at the dining table all day can work in the short term, but as home working looks likely to continue for the foreseeable future, it is important to have a dedicated working space if you are to be effective when working from home.
CPD
Standing for continuing professional development, just because you’re not operating under the watchful gaze of your boss, for now, doesn’t mean you should let standards slip. Working from home doesn’t mean that your career needs to be put on hold; rather, this is a time of opportunity to build up your CV and gain some professional development online. Look for training opportunities through online sessions, private reading and virtually shadowing other team members.
KEEP A ROUTINE
A good routine – especially in the morning and around meal times – is a vital component to being effective while working from home. Waking up at the same time each day, eating a good breakfast and planning time for regular exercise are all important factors when creating your daily working routine.
