10 Top Tips for Working from Home

Most of us have had to make a strange transition in the last few days or maybe weeks, we hope these top tips give some support.

1. Set up your own permanent (for now!) space – You might have multiple people working from home at the moment but that doesn’t mean you can’t set up your own personal space to work from.
Rearrange a spare room, set up a corner of the lounge or even repurpose the kitchen table if you don’t already have an office space. Whatever space you have available, make it yours
and as comfortable as possible with a suitable chair and surface. Having a ‘work space’ means you have somewhere you can move away from for breaks and makes your whole house feel less like
the office. Add a vase of flowers or a candle to your desk for that special touch and try and have a window view, it helps you to feel less contained!

2. Get dressed! We know you’re not leaving the house much or seeing anyone apart from those in your own home but it’s a psychological thing. By getting up, dressed and presentable you are mentally preparing for the day ahead and presenting yourself in the best way possible to work.

3. Take regular breaks – It can become so easy to stay sat at your laptop for hours without stretching those legs or getting fresh air. We are all guilty of it at work, but it can be
easy to be even worse when you are at home. Make a cup of tea, put that washing out or call a friend for a 10 min chat, it’s healthy all round.

4. Set yourself a new schedule or stick to your regular work schedule, real work hours – When your already at home and everything is there and easily accessible, it can be easy to just continuing working into the night. Try and stick to your regular 9-5.30pm or whatever your usual schedule is. It means you can separate work from the rest of your life and still spend time doing other things.

5. Take your lunch break – Use this time for your 1 outdoor exercise, maybe a run or cycle round the local park observing social distancing of course. Fresh air and exercise gets the endorphins flowing and not only will it make you feel better but it will also increase productivity. If you don’t want to use this time for exercise, make sure you do stop to eat lunch and if you have a garden, step outside and
maybe read a book or watch your favourite show. It’s important to take a proper break.

6. Speak to people – If your work means that you could easily go the whole day without actually speaking to anyone, make sure you schedule a call with your team, a colleague or even
just a friend. Communication and interacting with others is part of being human and allows you to share ideas and struggles as well as stay in touch and continue to maintain relationships. It’s good for maintaining good mental health as well.

7. Music – Some people work in busy environments with shared offices and phones ringing constantly. At home it can seem quiet and lonely when your there for so long. Put together your favourite playlist or a few playlists
that maybe suit the work you are doing so you can switch between. It will keep you mentally engaged and make the quiet seem less daunting.

8. Set rules – If you share your living space with anyone else, whether it is your family, roommate or partner, make sure you communicate that you are working from home and ask your companions
to respect your space where possible during working hours. Just because you are working from home, doesn’t mean you’re ‘at home’ and available for fun and games (especially with the kids!).
The dog might be harder to convince!

9. Drink lots – At work you have multiple colleagues who may be regularly offering you a coffee or tea, maybe you have a water fountain so it’s convenient or you have a water bottle that you know you have to drink 2 of every day. Don’t forget to stay hydrated when at home, use the same water bottle or set a timer every couple of hours to get a drink!

10. Work out what works for you – Some of the above tips might not work for you and you will discover this after a few days. Adjust your routine and the way you work to suit you. Everyone is different
and you may find that even though you have adjusted the way you work quite extensively recently, just by working from home, the way you work from home is very personal too and you’ll be more productive and far more useful to your work if you do it the best way that works for you.