Most organizations like mine have been acknowledging their one year out-of-the-office anniversary since the COVID-19 pandemic surged and transitioned life as we knew it.
A little over a year ago, offices closed, and laptop equipment was shipped out for what we thought would only be a few weeks. The hustle and bustle of cities went quiet, and socialization was at a bare minimum, leaving everyone unsure of what was to come. Daily life shifted for us all personally, but altered our work lives as well, as most of us were suddenly forced to adapt to working remotely.
Now with the vaccine on the rise, many organizations like mine are discussing returning to the office in the summer — but possibly never for a full five-day work week again. For many of us, work from home (WFH) is here to stay. Therefore, it’s important for us to establish the best ways to maintain productivity in our dual work and home environments.
Here are 10 tips for employees working from home:
Establish a Successful Work from Home Routine
1. Build a daily routine
Let’s go back to pre-pandemic — seems like a decade ago, right? Think of the things you did every morning after waking up and before getting to work. You made your bed, showered, brushed your teeth, got dressed, ate breakfast, did your daily commute, perhaps even visited your favorite coffee shop on the way… Now think of the things you do now prior to starting your day working from home. Does your routine look the same? Do you even still have a routine at all?
The daily routine does not go underway just because we are at home. It becomes essential to keep or develop structure to prepare us for and take us through the day now that we are doing various tasks in the same space. Whether your routine remains the same or shifts slightly is totally up to you.
Things as small as getting up and brushing your teeth or even ten minutes of meditation each morning could make the difference between a good day and a challenging one. There are so many ideas to help design your perfect morning routine. Build yours!
2. Dress to impress…YOURSELF!
Get out of those pajamas and into clothing that motivates you to achieve a successful workday! I get it. It’s tempting — and not to mention — comfortable to wear cozy clothing in your home.
But we all know that cozy clothing also gives us an excuse to be lazy, which makes us feel drowsy, and in turn, reduces our productivity. Besides, it’s not ‘virtual etiquette’ to be on camera in your pajamas during meetings. Yikes! Looking presentable still matters.
While being at home, try to simulate an in-person workday as best as you can. Getting dressed each day for work can help with the difficult transition from working to relaxing after hours. Once I change into my pajamas or lounge clothes, I stop checking my work email for the day. In most (but not all) instances, my clothing change signifies to me that I’ve ended my workday and am now taking personal time.
Don’t underestimate the power of looking your best — that is when we truly feel our best and produce some of our best work.
Avoid Work from Home Burnout
3. Practice self-care
Although work has become a priority in your home, don’t neglect the things that bring you peace and happiness.
Whether it’s reading a book, painting, yoga, or baking, take time to shut out everything going on at work and focus on non-stressful activities that you love. If possible, complete these activities away from your workspace.
Don’t lose sight of everything else that’s important to you because work financially supports your and your family’s well-being. If we are not taking care of our mental health and finding healthy ways to relieve work stress, we cannot produce quality work.
4. Get a breath of fresh air
Staring at the computer screen all day can absolutely be taxing on the eyes, not to mention it can make being inside all day, every day feel very stuffy. As the weather breaks, go outside and get at least 20 minutes of fresh air. Take a walk, if possible. Run an errand during your lunch break if you can.
Studies have shown that fresh air is critical to our health. It improves productivity and leads to “…significantly better decision making performance…” I’ve implemented taking a walk and taking meetings on my phone when video isn’t mandatory, and it has made a huge difference in my day. If you’re not able to take a walk, try opening the front door or some windows to let in a nice breeze. Don’t cloud your creative thoughts feeling trapped in your at-home office space.
5. Establish work/life balance
While working in my home environment, I often find that the two tend to mesh and it becomes difficult for me to establish a work/life balance with all of my daily activities occurring in the same space. In fact, 22% of remote workers indicate that unplugging from work is their biggest struggle with working remotely.
The key to establishing a work/life balance is sticking to defined work hours when working remotely. Because you are in the comfort of our own home, it becomes harder to check out and “leave” work since you are not physically completing the pre-pandemic commute from the office to your home. Nonetheless, working from home should be treated like an in-person workday with you only working your designated hours as if you were physically in the office.
Increase Work from Home Productivity
6. Create a designated home office space
There’s value in creating a designated space where you can complete work. This is important for eliminating distractions and for getting as close to the in-person home office feel as possible.
Try decorating the space the way you would at work — with pictures, cool gadgets…oh, and of course all the essential tools needed like paper, pens, folders, and more! Whether converting an entire room or transforming a corner, set up a WFH space that works best for you in the long term! Don’t forget to buy a comfortable computer chair to accompany your desk.
7. Keep a calendar or planner
In any work environment, organization and planning is key. Keep a calendar or planner to update daily with tasks and goals and check off accomplishments as you go. This will help with time management, tackling tasks, and will even give a boost of confidence as you cross items off your list throughout the day or week. Add to the planner or calendar daily to stay organized.
Write reminders on sticky notes and place them places around your home that you frequent. Don’t forget to incorporate some personal reminders and affirmations to reinforce that you’re doing amazing!
Communicate!
8. Communicate with your manager about WFH management needs
WFH can easily become overwhelming but you don’t have to suffer alone. Make your managers aware of any challenges you may be facing whether stemming from the work itself or the at-home transition. Work closely with your direct reports to troubleshoot and come up with a plan for curving these challenges moving forward.
The best way to do this is to be aware of best practices for managers to manage WFH and make sure your managers adhere to them. Communication is key in all relationships and you and your managers both have duties to support each other.
Don’t be afraid to admit if something isn’t working for you or if you’re just having a hard time in general. Let your direct reports know how they can best support you to make you as comfortable and confident as possible in delivering your best work.
9. Stay connected
If your job is like mine, you have tons of work meetings in one day. While the social interaction benefit is a plus, it can be slightly draining to hop on various meetings a day that only consist of work-related discussion.
However, meetings don’t have to just be for work. Best practice would be to schedule time to virtually socialize at least once or twice a week with coworkers or even friends and family that you can’t see in person during the pandemic.
Don’t be afraid to hop on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meets, or whatever virtual meeting platform you choose, to talk about anything EXCEPT work! Sometimes, these light-hearted conversations are needed to break up a workday. Although they don’t compare to face-to-face interaction, they can be the pick-me-up we never knew we need to finish the day strong.
Don’t Neglect the Benefits of WFH
10. Look at the bright side!
Working from home has its challenges but it has several benefits as well. Money and time is saved with not having a work commute. This gives more time for meditation, a coffee run, making breakfast, or whatever elements you choose to incorporate into your daily routine.
For many of us, our homes are our safe havens. Don’t take being in the comfort of your own home for granted. Pre-pandemic, I’m sure there were many times you were at work where you couldn’t wait to go home. Well…here you are!
Being home also means being able to spend more time with family and pets. Chances are your spouse may be working from home and your children are in school online — and your pets are usually home anyway! Motivate each other throughout the day and regroup for family fun time at night. It’s amazing seeing the faces of the ones you love most in the home that you share.
Adapting to WFH is a process and a huge feat for most of us, so don’t feel like you are in it alone. It gets tough, frustrating, overwhelming, and everything in between, but there are ways we can make it the best experience possible for the future. Good luck. You got this!
