Working from home has its advantages. No daily commute in the morning. No strict dress code.
But it also definitely has its disadvantages. No more physical boundaries between work and private life. Not working alongside your team with direct interaction with your colleagues.
It can be hard to stay motivated, and in the longer term, it starts wearing us out.
1. Staying organized When you’re working in the same space you live in, it becomes very easy to get disorganized. Have a dedicated work spot in the house (even if it is your dinner table) and arrange a storage spot for all your work-related stuff. I recommend starting/ending your workday with a short ritual of decluttering and organizing your workspace. 2. Managing your time Scheduling your day like a normal day in the office may help to manage yourself to a certain extent but the flexibility to adapt to the new demands of working from home situation is very important. It is a fact that now your private and work life is enmeshed and might be feeling like a soup you are swimming in 24/7. For a healthy balance, all aspects of your life need to be integrated into your time management, now even more so than ever. Learn to build a systematic approach to all your life to do’s. 3. Remembering to take regular breaks Without a structure and being in a different environment, you might forget to take regular breaks. Breaks can increase mental well-being and productivity. The key is working efficiently in a sustainable way. Try setting alarms on your phone to help remind you to take breaks. Get away from your desk for 5 minutes, once every 60-90 minutes. Go refill your water bottle, take a look out of the window, stretch a bit. 4. Switching off from work Being in the same place all the time blurs down the boundaries between your work and leisure time. Speaking literally and metaphorically here, sometimes it can be hard to see where your work ends and leisure time begins when working from home. That's why it’s important to set some ground rules for yourself, then letting people know what you can and will respond to or engage in during work hours, and what you can’t or won’t. Having a set start and finish time could also help you to separate things. If you can't have a dedicated office space at home, even something as simple as putting your laptop out of sight when work has ended can help you avoid the temptation to log back on. 5. Collaborating In the office, it can be easy to ask colleagues for information or updates. You might be in the same room or just a quick walk down the hallway. You don’t have this option when you’re working remotely. When you're in the office, if you usually have one-on-one meetings with your manager or some of your team members, it can be even more important to have them now. To make sure to use these meeting times wisely, I recommend you to keep a list of agenda points for each person you are working together with. And whenever something pops up, park it in your list till the next meeting.
6. Socially interacting Interacting with other people is a positive aspect of many jobs. Yes, you’re there to work, but social contact is also important and can help with productivity. Pre-corona times many of us could not even imagine that we would miss these so-called water-cooler moments. The point is to make sure to take the time to socially connect with others. This is more important now than ever, with so many people alone, working from home. Acknowledge your human need for social interaction and add moments of socializing in your day. It is just as important as any other task that needs to be done in a workday. ————-
If you are looking for a new approach to bring a holistic balance to your work life,
join me on the next “Reinventing your productivity” workshop, online. For more information send me a message info@theschoolofjoy.nl
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