Its been quite the transition these last couple of months especially office jobs moving to a work from home system. I don’t know about you but depending on your job, its been difficult to not get into the habit of crawling into bed with the laptop,phone and a nice hot beverage to complete daily work tasks and not get into a cosy slump. This article will outline a few key things that can be done around the home to get you in that working mindset for a more effective and productive day.
The bedroom is mainly meant for relaxation and down time so its never going to keep you in that “get things done mindset” so if possible create a working environment outside of the bedroom (e.g. kitchen, living room,conservatory etc). However not all of us are fortunate to have that space, so I propose turning your bed into a filing desk! Organise all your stationary, files, folders etc on top of your bed that way if you feel like you need to jump into bed you will have to go through the trouble of moving everything out of the way again and that’s just extra effort.
Invest in the equipment you need to stay productive, a lot of the times we struggle or feel demotivated is because we don’t have the tools to do our job. If you have some disposable income then invest in that new desk that will be have the perfect storage and space…invest in that new chair to give you the correct posture or even that office desk phone which contains all the functions you need to speak to multiple people at once. Good places to purchase from would be IKEA, Shpock, Depop and off the high street small businesses. In most cases employees seek software installation, don’t be afraid to ask your company if they have licences that approve various software’s, most of the time companies will help you access all the tools you require so don’t panic even if it is additional; provided that you give them a good enough reason as to why its essential to complete your tasks.
One of the benefits from working from home is that you get to create your own schedule! Separate your personal time and work time. Don’t stay in the office during lunch head out for quick coffee or go somewhere else where there’s no desk and take some time out. Set your schedule according to your normal working hours if its 9am-5pm then stick to that no colleague or fellow manager should be contacting you after hours this will reduce your stress and it won’t feel like you’re working 24 hours. Make sure to communicate this effectively to your team!
Top tip would be to be available when you’re needed, for example if you have to be in a zoom call or phone call with your manager then be available you don’t always have to be at the desk. Prioritising your work flow will also be beneficial make sure you put the most important task first when you have the most energy to complete it, then all the smaller tasks towards the afternoon. This will help reduce your stress levels and not feel like you need to cosy up in bed for comfort!
Last but not least on this short intake of work from home tips is to remember you are at home! The bed is not suddenly going to grow legs and run away! It’ll be there at the end of the day for you to relax on as a reward for sitting at that desk all day and working hard. Sleep will feel even better. Do what it takes to get your job done blast that music if that is what gets you going!
