Many people now choose to work from home. This will reduce the chance that you will get sick – and therefore cannot work at all. But sometimes working from home might be a bit of a shift. That is why we give 10 tips to effectively work from home.
1. Create a ‘home office’
If you are not used to working at home regularly, you may get distracted quickly. People walking by, the television on in the background, the package delivery person at the door … Not really conducive to your productivity if you are constantly distracted. Therefore create a ‘home office’: a place in your house where you will not be distracted and where you can literally close the door.
2. Have a good working posture
Also make sure you have a good working posture. A well-adjusted desk and office chair are best, but you may not have them at home. If you have to do it with the kitchen table, make sure that the top of your screen is at eye level. You can do that by using a laptop stand in combination with a separate mouse and separate keyboard. If you do not have a laptop stand at hand, put your laptop on a stack of books, for example.
3. Keep your normal rhythm
Do you normally get up at 7am? Do that when you work from home and keep to your normal rhythm and working hours. Have breakfast, get ready for the day, and get to work at the same time as you normally would. And not in your pajamas, but just dressed up. That really affects your productivity.
4. Meet online
Working from home doesn’t have to mean canceling all your meetings. You can easily meet online via tools such as Skype and Google Hangouts. So make sure you install these programs on your computer. Some of these tools can even be used temporarily for free.
Also, keep in mind that people you meet with online can see you and the room you’re in. Another reason not to get into your pajamas behind the computer!
5. Make a schedule or to-do list
Do you find it difficult to focus when you work from home? Then make a schedule or a to-do list for yourself. Divide your time into blocks and determine per block what you will work with. That provides clarity, which often makes it easier to focus. And don’t forget to schedule breaks too.
6. Schedule breaks
Because yes, even if you work from home it is important to take a regular break! Lunch and coffee breaks were created for a reason. So feel free to get a breath of fresh air or drink a cup of coffee. If you were working in the office, you would be doing this, so why not if you work from home? Just clear your head during a short break and you will see that a lot more comes out of your fingers afterwards.
7. Working from home is not the same as being at home
It may be an open door, but working from home is not the same as being home on a day off. So try to avoid washing or vacuuming laundry in between, because you wouldn’t do that on a normal working day. Even if such a job only takes a few minutes; it ensures that you are completely ‘out’ again. And before you are ‘in’ again, you are fifteen minutes away. Not conducive to your productivity, right?
8. Put your phone away
This tip may also seem obvious, but preferably put your phone away. Every beep or tune gets you out of your concentration. And the chance that you suddenly end up on social media after checking that one message is also high for many people. So put your phone away and put it on silent. If you can’t because you need to be available, delete any apps that might distract you.
9. Make arrangements with your housemates
Are not only you, but also one or more of your housemates confined to your home? Then make agreements – as well and as badly as possible – with each other. For example, agree that you will disturb each other as little as possible and that there will not be too much noise. That makes working from home a lot easier. It may be difficult to make such arrangements with (small) children, but it is definitely worth a try.
10. Make the most of it
Our last tip? Just make the most of it! Use the time you normally spend traveling up and down to take a nice walk. Or do not get rid of standard cheese during your break, but treat yourself to a tasty bouncer. That’s how you get through that period of working from home.
Bonus tip: get ready to work from home
Are you still working in the office? That is fine, of course, but keep in mind that you too may soon be forced to work from home. Prepare for this and check whether your VPN connection is working and whether you can access all your required documents. In the unlikely event that you do end up sitting at home, then you are certainly ready!
