Remote working is the new 9 – 5, and how are you coping? Well, if you’re struggling, don’t feel bad, it’s just not for everyone. Read our tips to make the whole experience less painful.
1. Wear your indoor shoes during office hours
This clever trick will ensure you don’t relax too much, and keep your brain active. This also, gives you a good indication for you to stop turning those cogs when your work day is finished.
2. Schedule Breaks
There are various studies on this, but the most common finding is that the brain can only focus for around 45 minutes. So it can be beneficial to take short two minute breaks after this timeframe. Go make yourself a coffee or have a quick stretch of the legs. This is far more beneficial than trying to focus for hours and procrastinating for half of it.
3. Social Interaction
As humans, we crave interaction with others. If you’re in lockdown alone, make sure you have schedule some time to speak to someone else. If you don’t have any meetings booked, make sure you call someone on your lunch break or immediately after work. A happy mind is a productive one.
4. Turn off Social Media Notifications
We’ve all done it, an Instagram notification pops up on our phone and 37 minutes later you’re still scrolling through photographs of your best friend’s cousin’s husband’s dinner. This is not productive, and at home it will be easier to get distracted. Start your day with turning off these notifications, to prevent these interuptions as much as possible.
5. Have a designated Office Space
Whether this be an entire room or just a desk, it is important to segregate work and ‘play’ areas within your home. If you start working from your settee I can guarantee you will not be focused, and then once your work day is complete you may find yourself scrolling through work emails when you’re meant to be relaxing. Also, having this designated space will make sure you don’t waste time every morning setting up for work.
6. Dress for Work
It may be comfier to wear jogging bottoms and a hoody, but let’s face it, they’re called lounge wear for a reason. You don’t have to wear full suit but something that indicates ‘work’ in your brain would be very beneficial.
7. Simulate a Commute
This is best to do in the morning before you work, if you’re able to do your daily quota of exercise, this would be great to clear the cobwebs before you start your day at the ‘office’. If you’re unable to do this, try and do something to get the blood pumping, whether it is a quick workout or a walk around the garden.
8. Keep your Work Place Neat
If you have your work place filled with clutter, this will have an effect on your mind. Make sure this is neat and tidy before you start work, you will be much more productive.
9. Establish Working Hours
Working Hours can easily become more fluid when you work at home. It’s tempting to start work just 15 minutes late, just because you can. But if you treat your hours like you work like any other work day, you’ll more productive within these hours.
10. MOT your Work Technology
Spend one evening just making sure everything is working; run those updates, delete those unused files to make sure your technology is going to be efficient during your work day. You do’t want to waste time with computers being slow..
