Here at Littlefish we have compiled our top 10 tips for working at home to make sure you have the best time possible.
- Have a routine
An enjoyable perk of working
from home is not having
to get up early, rush from the house and commute to your place of work.
Although keeping a daily routine is not just beneficial for your business, it can also aid our mental health and help us to form healthy habits, reduce stress levels and so, cope with the changes were experiencing. Having a set plan of what your day will consist of creates comfort, as there is less uncertainty of what you need to be doing.
Just
as in an office environment, it is a great habit to recreate the same routine
for home. For example, getting up early, taking a shower and eating breakfast
before starting work, are all great ways to put you in the correct mindset and
get the most productivity out of your day.
2. Stay active
Taking
regular breaks away from your work, or even going out for a walk or stretching
your legs in the garden can really lift your mood. Exercise is known for being
a natural mood lifter and can relieve stress, anxiety, depression and anger.
If
you’re struggling to stay focused or find yourself restless, staying active is
the answer. Exercise sharpens focus for up to 3 hours afterwards and can
sharpen your impulse as exercise helps
trigger endorphins, which improve the prioritising functions of the brain.
After exercise, your ability to sort out priorities improves, allowing you to
block out distractions and better concentrate on the task at hand.
3. Communicate
Working from home can sometimes make it hard
to communicate like you would do in the office environment and if not careful,
you could go days without talking with anyone.
However, going days without communicating is
quite unhealthy and communication as important as breathing
in these circumstances
Communication connects people, engenders health relationships
and helps the sharing of knowledge. When working from home is very beneficial
as you can get a gage of how you’re doing, what others are doing and seek any
help you may need that ensures your
working to the best of your ability.
Of course, communication between colleagues is of critical
importance to a well-functioning and efficient team, however, talking to your
family and friends has the same benefits. So don’t forget to get to know your
family better, it won’t be forever that your all at home together at the same
time.
4. Be aware
Every individual is most
productive at different times of the day.
Being
aware of your mood, productivity and time can help you set goals and complete
everything you have to do.
Knowing
what time of the day you’re more productive at, or when you’re most restless,
can help when setting yourself certain tasks. For example, if you know in the morning,
you’re more energetic and focused, spend this time doing tasks that have high
priority and this will ensure you will complete your days’ work.
Also,
when managing time, it’s important to plan your day and be aware of your tasks,
as this will help reduce stress as you will feel more in control of your
workload.
Here
are some useful tips to help manage workload.
- Write out your plan every day
- Plan at the same time every day
- Brainstorm a to-do list
- Divide your task list between work and life, business and leisure
- Identify two key tasks or projects that MUST be done today
- Include some quick tasks
- Refer back to your list often
5. Be comfortable
If
your normal work environment is comfortable then your home environment should
be too. At work these measures have often already been considered for you and
you don’t have to put much thought into it, however at home it’s a different
story and it falls into your hands.
It’s
important to not only find a suitable place to work, but it is vital to health
and wellbeing to have the correct measures in place to avoid things like eye strain,
back pain and wrist strain.
From the NHS’s guidelines these measures below can help you stay comfortable and healthy:
- Place your screen at eye level
- Support your back
- Adjust your chair
- Rest your feet on the floor
- Have the keyboard straight in front of you
- Keep your mouse close
- Avoid screen reflection
- Avoid wearing bifocals
- Make objects easy to reach
- Avoid eye strain
- Take regular breaks
6. Rewards
Doing a good job? Reward yourself!
When we give ourselves
treats, we feel energised, cared for, and content, which boosts our self-command.
Self-command helps us maintain our healthy habits.
Treating yourself after
completing a task makes you feel in control, which overall keeps you motivated
and focused on your tasks.
A treat can be defined by your personal desires
and can be as small or big as you want them to be. Some people may consider a
tea or coffee break as a treat, whereas some people may want a takeaway as a
lunchbreak instead of food at home – it completely depends on your individual
preferences.
Although be aware not to overindulge yourself
as the treats will soon lose value and it won’t have the same effect.
7. Switch off
Being
able to switch off from work is very important to your health and wellbeing. Almost a
third of workers find it difficult to switch off from work in their
personal time, putting them at risk of becoming stressed or burning out.
When
you finish your day, leave the house to go for walk, or head into the garden
for some fresh air, instead of just entering another room in your house. This
stimulates what you would normally do when you leave the office and splits up
the day. When you return home, it should help you relax and switch off.
8. Use your home to your advantage
Working
from home can have some great advantages in terms of things you cannot normally
do in an office environment.
Listening
to music or the radio at home can really help with certain tasks. For example,
various studies have
indicated that, in general, people who listened to music while they
worked on repetitive tasks performed faster and made fewer errors.
Moreover,
enjoy your lunchbreaks and home comforts! There’s nothing better then being
able to eat what you want when you want! But again, trying not to overindulge
and keep meals at lunchtime light so as not to affect your performance
afterwards.
9. Maintain your hours
Similar
to routine, maintaining your hours is key for productivity and wellbeing as it
allows you to stimulate what you’re used to in terms of your old routine.
Stability
in your day also helps you relax at the end of your working day, as you know
you have completed your hours and the time after is your free time.
10. Be Positive
Lastly,
it’s important to stay positive! We know in these unprecedented times it can be
strange and different to how you normally work, but using the above tips makes
it easier to adapt and keep motivated.
Everyone is in the same situation, and we will all pull through this together.
We are still actively hiring during this time. If you’re interested in learning more about the range of vacancies currently available at Littlefish, visit our IT careers page.
About Littlefish
Littlefish is an award winning and rapidly growing Managed IT Services Provider. Through a focused growth plan, it has become an established and credible alternative to the ‘usual suspect’ large Multi £Billion Managed Service Providers and IT Outsourcers in the mid-market and enterprise.
Its purpose is to disrupt the conventional Managed IT Services models – where the usual suspects typically fail to perform – by delivering service solutions that are tailored to the precise needs of organisations and which are communicated in clear and straightforward language.
