Many of us are settling into our work from home life in 2022 and beyond. It seems that, for many of us, this way of life is only getting started and will be something that we continue for quite a long time.
In settling in from temporary measures to long-term solutions, we need to think about how effective we are or aren’t being at work when work is at home.
So, how effective are we at home?
There are certain things about working from home that could contribute to us being less effective and/or productive; when we aren’t in a work environment, when we don’t have a manager or supervisor observing our daily progress, and when we have too many home comforts around us, for example.
However, in fact, statistics show that 65% of British workers said they could be more productive at home than in an office environment.
So, how does that work?
I think it comes down to the ways in which we create our work from home environment and how we act within that environment. It all comes down to us, really, and not the work from home aspect at all.
Here are 5 of the ways I think that, regardless of what work we are doing, we can maximise our productivity when working at home.
1. Pick Your Workspace Wisely
When you are working at home, it is important that you pick the right location for your workspace. You are going to be spending a lot of time there and you need to make sure that is somewhere you feel comfortable and somewhere in which you think you can be productive throughout the workday.
This will, of course, depend on where you live and what kind of space you have, not everyone who wants to work from home has the same resources available and that is important for us to remember.
However, there are some things that everyone can do to make sure that their work environment works for them as much as possible, including:
- Having a comfortable chair with back support
- Getting the temperature right – not too hot, not too cold
- Clearing distractions from your work area
- Being near some natural light/a window space
- Add some personal touches that keep you relaxed and comfortable
2. Invest in Work Equipment
You probably don’t want to spend a lot of money on your work from home set-up and don’t worry, I don’t think you necessarily have to. There are some investments that are really useful to make even when you don’t want to spend a lot of money that don’t have to break the bank but that can really help upgrade the experience you have.
The first thing to consider would be your desk chair and the desk itself. You will need to make sure that everything is comfortable and supports your body, especially when you are going to be sitting there for long periods of time. Getting a good desk chair is one of the best investments you can make because if you don’t, you will really feel the physical consequences down the line.
Some other investments for your work from home setup could be things like noise-cancelling headphones, an extra screen, and anything that prevents unnecessary strain or discomfort.
You will always thank yourself for these investments down the line.
3. Still Get Up In Plenty of Time
One mistake that a lot of us regularly make when we work from home is getting up later than we would if we had to commute. Many of us start work at 9 am and roll out of bed at 8.50.
Something that will both enhance your experience of working from home and increase your productivity while at work will be getting up earlier, just as you would have done when you worked in the office.
Get up earlier and have a normal morning routine that sets you up for the day. Breakfast, outside time, a workout, reading, journaling, whatever it is, just make sure you are getting that extra time for you in the morning to prepare for your day.
It will help much more than the extra hour of sleep.
4. Set Boundaries with Devices
Our devices at home are some of the biggest obstacles we have to being efficient when we work from home. There is no one else at home from our work to spot us spending 2 hours on TikTok or 2 hours playing Mario. It is only us that controls our device time when working from home and that isn’t always a good thing.
To be productive working at home, you will need to set your own device limits. You can do this through willpower alone or with a little help from your devices themselves. You can set limits and timers on apps and have them close when you have reached these limits. You can also go old-fashioned with a good ol’ safe and timer.
You have to be in control of your own time.
5. Switch Off When It’s Time
Something that people across the world have reported as an issue when they work from home is the concept of switching off at the appropriate times. Some people are finding that they more easily work through lunch, work later, and work at weekends whenever they are working at home, whereas working in the office gives more natural time boundaries.
If you want to be effective when you work from home, you can’t work all the time. You will simply be drained and your work will be of lesser quality. Even when we think the opposite, less is always more when it comes to hours slaved away behind our computers.
Go for quality and not quantity with everything that you do, and allow yourself to have healthy boundaries.
Work is important and it helps us live, but it is never more important than our lives themselves.
Let’s work from home in a way that is both efficient and healthy this year, striking the right balance for us in a sustainable way throughout our lives.
That’s what is really important.
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