So, it’s nearly been a year since most of the workforce began working from home. There have been upsides to it, e.g. spending more time with your dog and working in your slippers. There have been downsides to it too, e.g. lack of the office atmosphere and an overall feeling of loneliness. It’s safe to say that looking ahead; remote working is here to stay, in some form or another. It seems unimaginable to go back to working 5 days a week in an office, having got used to the current situation. We should all be aiming to survive 2021 and get through the other side better and stronger. With this in mind, here at EC, we’ve got a short guide on working from home, to help increase your positivity and productivity whilst working from the comfort of your bed home. So check out our top 5 tips to help yo you succeed when working from home!
Plan your day, every day!
Wherever you’re working, you can be assured that if you plan and structure your day, it will be a lot more manageable. Having a schedule is an excellent way of making remote working as close to office working as possible. Write a list of all your tasks you need to complete in the day. And, in order of importance, with reference to how long you should spend on each one. Working from home is more distracting than working in an office, that’s inevitable. But if you plan exactly what you need to finish by the end of the day, at least you have daily goals to reach.
“Working from home is pretty lonely, so you and your colleagues should be encouraged to talk, whether that is in a formal meeting or just a general chat.”
Communication is key
If you’re working with a team of others, communicating with them is essential, especially now you are physically miles away from them. Gone are the days you could walk to or turn towards the colleague you need assistance from. The one thing missing from working from home is that office atmosphere, which naturally allows for more ideation and collaboration. So with that in mind, you should get together with your team at least once a week, maybe even once a day, where you can get together and vocalise any issues, concerns and problems. Working from home is pretty lonely, so you and your colleagues should be encouraged to talk, whether that is in a formal meeting or just a general chat. But when it comes to formal meetings, don’t overdo it…
Make meetings matter
… and when I say overdo it, I mean, not everything needs to be done in a zoom meeting! Many meetings are necessary and useful but others are not. When streamlining your processes, consider the effectiveness of all your virtual meetings: daily, weekly, monthly, etc. Review and assess if they are truly needed or if the information can be communicated more efficiently via email or chat. Meetings tend to interrupt worker productivity, as they have to stop and then restart their work. Reducing or combining meetings can give employees hours back to use for actual work.
Wellbeing is essential
It’s easy to be in the same spot for hours when working from home, staring at the same screen, sitting in a hunched over position on a chair that isn’t quite as comfortable as the one you used to have in the office. Remember, take regular breaks, stand up, stretch, take your eyes off the laptop! Working hard and working long hours aren’t necessarily one and the same. We know that working is second nature to you, but regular breaks fuel productivity. You have a responsibility t to make sure working from home doesn’t lead to detrimental habits. Make sure you’re working in a well-lit area. And, taking regular breaks to drink water, get away from the screen, and stretch.
“Utilise free trials, do your research and come up with the solutions that are right for you.”
Utilise online tools
There is an abundance of online tools and software that can help aid with all of the above tips. Products like Slack & Trello are brilliant for communication and tracking progress. Platforms like Zoom and Google Meets are essential for meetings now. Other software like Mibo offers a fun alternative the usual meeting platforms. Here you can join colleagues in a 3D computer-generated world! What’s important is finding the right software for you and your colleagues. Utilise free trials, do your research and come up with the solutions that are right for you. We’ll delve into our favourite products in a future blog!