THE ESSENTIAL WORK FROM HOME GUIDE
With lockdown still the norm, we've put together our top tips to keep you motivated while working from home. 3pm dance party, anyone?
WORKING FROM HOME HAS BECOME THE NEW NORMAL FOR MANY OF US THIS YEAR.
Working from home has become the new normal for many of us.
With many more weeks – perahps months – of lockdown to go, we've got no plans to head back to the office quite yet, so to help you stay motivated for the weeks ahead, here are a few of our top tips for keeping your WFH life as comfortable and productive as possible:
BE YOUR MOST PRODUCTIVE
Routine is key. It was true before lockdown and is even truer now. Believe me, I know how easy it is to get distracted at the moment (just a quick episode of Tiger King or a 5-minute game of Fifa...) that’s why it’s so important to make a daily schedule and stick to it. Whether that’s with an old-school diary or your Google calendar, it doesn’t matter, you just need something to keep you focused and on track. In the words of Daniel Craig, “Make a plan and stick to it!” And if you can’t trust 007, who can you trust?
CREATE THE PERFECT WORKING ENVIRONMENT
It’s all about comfortable seating and, of course, a plant or two. You need to think of your desk space as a haven for work. Somewhere you feel relaxed and ready to tackle the working day. This doesn’t constitute lying in bed or lounging on the sofa, however comfortable that might make you feel. If your partner’s also working at home, I’d suggest having separate rooms and rotating to give you a change of scenery every couple of days.
Personally, we’ve found working in the same room as my partner a little problematic, and I’m not sure whose HR team to complain to – it’s a real WFH issue!
THE PERFECT PLAYLIST GOES A LONG WAY
Whether you like serotonin-boosting music or heavy metal, WFH is all about getting that balance. I switch between the Les Misérables soundtrack and classic hip-hop playlists, so believe me, there’s no judgement here. Just make sure the music’s having a positive effect on your mood and productivity and you can’t go wrong. And yes, it’s okay to have a sing-along every once and a while – the neighbours will appreciate it.
TEAM COMMUNICATION
There’s nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned phone call, but every so often you need a little (virtual) face-to-face contact. Yes, you might be bored of the seemingly endless number of Zoom quizzes, but it's great for work, as you can screen share and have multiple people working on the same project at once. Don’t worry, you don’t need to get dressed up for it...well, maybe just your top half.
Slack is also great for any kind of team, large or small. It helps consolidate communication and collaboration in one handy, easy-to-use interface so you can stay on top of team activities minute to minute. Plus, you can send gifs! Just type '/giphy [search term]', for anyone who’s not in the know!
APPS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR WFH LIVES
Toggl For small business owners, this time-tracking app is a great tool for tracking billable client hours, to make sure your team is servicing them to the maximum. If it’s not part of your daily ritual, it should be!
Dropbox Our go-to app for file sharing and storage, Dropbox allows your whole team to access files remotely. The bonus ball is you can get a free version if you’re just looking for a little extra support during the lockdown.
Google Calendar This is probably the first and last thing I look at during my working day, and I’m sure many of you are the same. It’s a great way to track your employee’s workflow, book in meetings and generally keep on top of client work from afar.
I hope this has given you some inspiration for making WFH life a little easier; fingers crossed we’ll all be back in the office soon.
What have you found makes working from home easier? Let us know on social!