You may be choosing to work from home or maybe you are now because of COVID-19. Either way, it might not be as easy or great of an experience as you initially assumed if you fail to set yourself up for success.
The following five tips will help you have a positive experience working from home and get more done. Go easy on yourself because it’s likely to be an adjustment at first and may take time before you’re in a routine and enjoying working from home.
1. Keep A Dedicated Office Space
One tip for working from home is to set up and designate a dedicated office space for yourself. You may need a quiet space at times so you can make phone calls and concentrate. It’ll be nice to be able to shut the door at times. Also, keep your space at the right temperature so you’re not too hot or too cold. Have the contact information for a professional service that specializes in air conditioning repair in the summer in case you’re at home and it goes out on you. Also, take the time to decorate and paint the room and make it your own.
2. Maintain A Routine & Schedule
It’s also going to help if you maintain a routine and schedule when you work from home. You should have a to-do list made and know what you want to achieve each day. You’re likely to get off track if you’re always winging it and don’t know what to expect day in and day out. It may help to set daily working hours that you can stick to for a better work-life balance.
3. Take Breaks & Get Out of the House
It’s also important that you not work all the time when you’re at home. Therefore, take breaks and get out of the house every so often. It’s good for your mental health and well-being and will help you relax and feel refreshed when you return to doing your job again.
4. Use Technology to Stay in Touch
It can be easy to isolate when you work from home all the time. Consider using technology to stay in touch with others and co-workers. For instance, you can send out an email or text or have a video call with someone you work with if you have questions on a project. Keep the lines of communication open with your workplace, boss, or clients so you can continue to perform well even though you’re working from home.
5. Practice Self-Care
Another tip to help improve your work from home experience is to practice daily self-care. For example, get up and take a shower and get dressed each morning instead of sitting around in your sweats all day. Head outside and get some fresh air, exercise at lunchtime, and take a break to eat a healthy lunch. Take good care of yourself just as you would if you were going into an office and needing to see and interact with people. Commit to getting a good night’s sleep and get up around the same time each day.