Working From Home Tips That Make You Happier & More Productive
I have seen this written all across social media lately, I really hate working from home. Why am I working harder and longer from home than I ever did going into the office? With many people under stay at home orders the work from home workforce is larger than it has ever been. And people are beginning to realize that those people on the other side may not have it better. I have talked about the pros and cons of working from home in the past. Because working from home is for sure not all sunshine and rainbows. After working from home for 3 years now I wanted to share some of my working from home tips to make things go a little bit better for you. Learn from my trial and error!
The Pandemic Makes It Difficult Even For Work From Home Pros
It took me quite a while to get used to working from home and being productive. Many people think that you will have all of this extra time on your hands because you don’t have a commute or need to get ready for work etc. You just get up and go, and it sounds miraculous.
The truth is it rarely works out that way. Then when you throw kids in the mix, forget about it. Usually I only have to wrangle the kids and work at the same time during the summer months. But with schools closed across the country many of us are having to deal with kids and our normal work load. Then we are throwing homeschooling on top of that too! Being as organized and efficient as possible is more important than ever before.
Even without kids I find it more difficult now to stay focused and on task than ever before. That is because most people are at home too. So you are getting Facebook messages right and left, texts, calls, FaceTime requests and Zoom hangouts etc. Everyone is looking for some social interaction and normal distractions are limited. That means they are reaching out more often and often during the work day which is really messing with my work mojo.
Working From Home Tips
Now that we have laid the groundwork of some of the issues we are currently dealing with let’s get into some working from home tips that should help make things better.
Stick To A Routine
We are creatures of habit and we like to find our routines. When your world is turned upside down almost overnight routines are more important than ever. Routines are efficient, they are comfortable and when done right they are extremely productive. So I encourage you to figure out what works best for your situation and replicate that day in and day out. Wake up at the same time every day, take breaks at the same time, eat on a schedule etc. How many times have you found yourself walking to your kitchen just because over the last few weeks? That is time wasted!
I also find myself being more productive and focused if I shower and shave etc. before “getting to work”. I won’t go as far and say get dressed like you would be going to work but I know that helps some people get mentally focused for the day ahead so it may be worth a try if you are struggling right now.
Work Life Balance Is Tougher To Find Than You Think
I, along with a lot of people, thought working from home would equate having the best work life balance ever. That is far from the truth. When you don’t ever leave “the office” that means like a part of you feels like you should always be working. An emergency happens, well I can take that. I know I was going to finish that assignment tomorrow but I might as well do it now instead of just watching TV etc.
Because of this you need to set boundaries and stick to them. If you wouldn’t have done it after you left the office don’t do it now. Some work from home vets like to have a routine that signals the end of the day. Maybe it is playing a game with your kids, going on a walk or grabbing a drink after the work day to unwind. Whatever your end of the day work “whistle” is so to speak do it every day so you signal to yourself the day is over.
Dedicated Office Space
If you are able to, be sure to set up a dedicated area that is your work bunker. When I first started working from home I worked in a communal area of the home and it was difficult. There are a ton more distractions when you can’t close the door and hunker down. Plus things get messy and easily misplaced when everyone is coming through your work space. We ended up combining the kids rooms so that I had an office area. A short term fix until we can move but it has made work life a ton better and I think the kids have actually enjoyed it (well most of the time at least).
Get Up And Move
This may sound like a contradiction to my earlier point but it is important to move around. This is the case whether you are at your normal office or working from home. Set up regular intervals and get up and stretch or walk around the house etc. I set a timer on my Alexa device. Every 55 minutes I get up and move around for 5 minutes. When you are at an office this naturally happens when you head to talk to a co-worker or go to a meeting but that isn’t the case anymore. You will find yourself stuck at your desk for 8 straight hours if you are not careful. That will wear you down and harm your body which makes you less productive day in and day out.
Silence Notifications While Working
Turn your phone on vibrate, turn off social media prompts and only check email at set intervals. Let’s face it, people are bored right now and social media is getting a heck of lot more use during the work day versus normal. Fight the urge to hang out virtually with your friends and silence all distractions.
We use Slack to stay in touch at work. It is great for discussing topics, sharing thoughts and ideas and just getting stuff organized each day. But there is also a major social side to Slack and I have lost many of mornings to the Slack social chat beast. Sometimes the best way to avoid it is to simply turn off those notification dings and focus for the next hour or two and then come back during one of my breaks.
Pick Up The Phone To Discuss Detailed Issues With Co-Workers
Sending emails back and forth can be frustrating and it is hard to tell what someone means over text. Things can get misconstrued when you don’t hear someone’s tone or see their facial expressions. It is easy to take text one way when it is meant another way. And to be honest not very many people are able to explain things well via the written word. When you are dealing with a bigger issue or you need the answer to multiple questions answered in succession it is best to pick up the phone. It will save you time and headache, I promise you that.
Leave Housework Till After Work
The toughest adjustment I had to make was feeling guilty about not picking up or doing chores during the day. You feel like your spouse is going to think you were slacking or that you weren’t taking advantage of your “down time”. Forget all that noise. Your work day is your work day so focus on work. Leave all the other stuff for when you clock out.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully some of my working from home tips resonated for you and will have you becoming a happier, more productive and sane self. I know this adjustment can be difficult and many people hate working from home. It is especially tough when it is thrown at you overnight without time to process or plan for it. If you follow these tips and come up with some of your own I promise it gets better. And who knows you may be asking your boss to work from home when this pandemic is all said and done and things get back to normal.
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Good suggestions and reminders, thanks. In terms of getting up and moving regularly: The best possible thing one can do for one’s body (which we all know transfers to the mind and general energy-attitude) is to get up every 20 minutes in fact. Even if it’s just walking around (or in place) and doing a little stretch for 20-30 seconds, it make a huge difference over the course of a day-week and over months-and-years, if one works at a desk day in and day out. Sitting at a desk (or even standing in place at a high one) is worse for the body than just about any other activity one can think of. Yes, it’s hard to establish this as a routine, and it’s not always possible. Setting a timer (I recommend having one installed on one’s computer not phone) is a great help, especially in the beginning when one’s trying to establish new healthy habits. If you can ‘fight’ your way to this new routine, you’ll notice a big difference how the body feels at the end of a day-week. And, keep those windows open as much as possible, as a continuous flow of fresh air also makes a big difference.
Great tips David – thanks for sharing
>>You will have all of this extra time on your hands because you don’t have a commute or need to get ready for work etc. You just get up and go.
That’s exactly how it works for me. I get up, wash my face… and 3 minutes later I’m at my desk ready to work… 8 hours later I shut down my laptop and I’m done for the day. Easy Peasy!
PS. Kids and wife are not welcome to come to my room when I work, unless they brought me some food (breakfast, lunch, snacks) – it usually takes less than 5 minutes anyway.
I wish I could stop my kids from coming in haha.