Remote working is now a part of the new normal. Experts say that the work from home set-up is here to stay and may even increase in 2023.
Working in the comfort of your own space and time may sound like rainbows and butterflies. No more getting up two hours early to get ready, no more battles to fight just to get a ride to the office or difficult manoeuvres through traffic jams.
What a dream!
But don’t celebrate just yet. Working from home (WFH) is not all wistful and dreamy. Combining your personal and work spaces can also lead to a chaotic and tumultuous environment in the long run, especially if you are not doing it right.
The good thing is that many are kind enough to share some of their tips and tricks to hack the WFH system.
We have compiled the best ones and have listed them down for you.
Here are 7 tips to make work from home, work for you.
1. Communicate with people at home
WFH is sometimes referred to as working in isolation, but it’s not always the case.
Yes, you are the only one working at home, but you are not necessarily alone. You might have your roommate, your family, your pets, or even the delivery service (or local solicitors!) who can interrupt your zoom calls and your overall workflow.
Thus, make sure to communicate your concerns to anyone you share your space with.
Let them know your work schedule so they have an idea when and when not to bother you, give them a heads up when you have an upcoming meeting to avoid having people walking to and fro behind you during video conferences, and tell them exactly what you need like maybe lowering the volume of their music (or voices) when you are working.
You could not expect people to know what works for you in the office – so it would be best to directly communicate your requests to avoid an unpleasant co-living experience.
2. Stick to a schedule
One advantage of working from home is that you can control your own schedule or what they call “flexi-time”. This means you get to curate your personal working hours.
However, one of the disadvantages of flexi-time is that there is no regularity, which can lead to disorientation and eventually to unproductivity and inefficiency.
Hence, it is crucial to choose a schedule that best works for you and stick to it.
In fact, having a consistent work schedule is not only beneficial for WFH set-up. It has always been encouraged because studies have found that consistency in work schedules improves employees’ well-being and retention.
More so, sticking to a schedule also means having a definitive finishing time. This will help you have something to look forward to at the end of the day, and who wouldn’t want that, right?
3. Take breaks
You might think that taking breaks is common sense.
But we mean taking CLEAR breaks. Not the 5-minute break where you scroll on your phone watching videos nor the 3-minute break you take when you go to the rest room.
You have to take clear and uninterrupted breaks like getting in some movement in your body to get your blood flowing, preparing and eating some healthy snacks, or just moving around the house to get some fresh air.
These breaks should take your mind off work and let it get some of its much-needed rest. In this way, you’ll have a refreshed working-brain ready to take on any focused work.
4. Personalize your workspace
Having a comfortable workspace is easily one of the most important factors in bringing about your best quality work.
And working from home means having the liberty to design and personalize your own workspace.
You can add your own touch based on your personality and characteristics! After all, nothing is more comfortable than being in your own little world.
You can be as simple as a minimalist by sticking to a color palette like whites, nudes, and earth tones. Or you can go as crazy as a hipster that displays plants, sculptures, and mandala tapestries all over the wall. It’s your call!
5. Pick a good internet provider
You might have experienced getting disconnected while on a very important meeting, or just being M.I.A because your Wi-Fi is down.
It can be so stressful thinking about what you could be possibly missing.
In a WFH setup, you communicate, collaborate, and basically work using tools that need the internet. So, it would be a no-brainer to ensure a fast, stable, and reliable internet connection.
Of course, you cannot control everything with your internet, it just doesn’t work that way. But you can always opt for an internet provider that is suitable for your location and an internet plan that is reliable while on a budget.
Also, make sure that your internet provider provides good customer services just in case anything goes wrong.
6. Physical separation
One negative outcome of the WFH set-up is the blurring boundary between work and personal life.
But you can avoid this by training your body to distinguish signals that the time for work is over.
This includes building a consistent schedule.
Another thing is, setting a boundary through physical/spatial separation. This means you have to separate your space for work and for relaxation or leisure.
Don’t fret! It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to build an entirely separate room for an office (although that is nice, it would be too time-consuming and expensive).
You just have to designate a specific workspace like on your bedside table. And don’t bring it anywhere else around the house. This will help you associate that specific space for working while keeping the rest of the house an enjoyable place off work.
7. Don’t forget to be human
No man is an island.
Humans are social beings but working from home compels us to lock ourselves up for a minimum of 8 hours every day. That is 40 hours of isolation per week.
Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, you’ll surely want to socialize every now and then. And that is okay.
Going outside should be, dare I say, mandatory for remote workers. You have to mingle and interact with other people once in a while to fight overfatigue and exhaustion.
You can nerd around with your friends over a cup of coffee in a cute little café every Saturday. Or have your friends come over to watch a movie on a Sunday night.
Whatever it is, make sure to enjoy and savor the company before the seclusion begins again.
Conclusion
As WFH setup becomes more and more integrated by employers, it is important to know ways on how to do it with grace.
You can always count on people who have successfully done it for advice, but not all people have networks like that. Having read this list will give you an overview of some of the dos and don’ts when working remotely.
You are already one step ahead of the game, just be sure to stay consistent with your goals while being wary and assertive of your boundaries to truly balance life and work.
When you feel like you are slowing down or getting clumped up – don’t be afraid to ask for help or you can always go back to these tips above!
Or you may also read our previous blog on tools to help you increase productivity while working from home.