Delightful, three weeks working from home! That's what you may have thought last Monday. But in the meantime, working productively from home turns out to be less easy and restful than you thought. Your bed is very comfortable in the morning, taking a shower feels unnecessary and Netflix is lurking. Yet your employer expects you to be as productive as usual. And in all honesty, it's also nicer for yourself to end the workday feeling fulfilled. How do you manage that?
1. Keep your normal rhythm
Do you normally get up at 6:00 a.m. every day? Then stay in that rhythm. Take the extra time in the morning to read the paper, do something for yourself or exercise (I'll tell you more about the importance of exercise in a moment).
And importantly, get ready like you always do before you start your workday. Your brain automatically makes a connection between certain outfits and emotions. Therefore, take a shower and choose an outfit that you would wear on a ''normal work day'' as well.
2. Working productively from home = ensuring a tight schedule
During a day working from home, it is very easy to get distracted. A wash here, a walk there. There's nothing wrong with this, of course, as long as you make sure you allocate your time productively and deliver what is required of you.
Therefore, at the beginning of the day, make a planning. Set some priorities that you want ticked off anyway by the end of the day.
Do be realistic and keep challenging yourself. Are you done with your priorities after lunch? Then set some new ones!
Are you finding this difficult? 1 of our most important tips when it comes to working from home productively: Schedule once or twice a day a focus hour for yourself. Turn off your notifications (yes, including your email) and set your phone to do not disturb. You'll be amazed at how much you can get done in that hour!
3. Working productively from home also means: stay connected
Are you used to a stand-up meeting every morning? Now do this virtually. Do have everyone except the person talking mute their microphone. Also ensures you don't wander off unnecessarily!
Do you often find yourself brainstorming 1-on-1 with a colleague? Choose a platform like Skype or Zoom so you can see each other, and work together in the most natural way possible.
Keep each other informed of the status of your work, and indicate when you have room to take on extra work (as you would in the office).
And just as important for productive working from home: try to stay informed about each other's lives! So start the first phone or video call of the day by just catching up.
4. Avoid feeling trapped and extra pounds
"The walls are coming down on me, and I've already gained 5 pounds.'' You want to avoid this statement, of course. But how?
It's very easy to do virtually no exercise during a day's work from home. At the office, you walk to the printer, to your colleague, to the cafeteria and you name it. At home, you only have to cover the distance to the bathroom and the kitchen. Be aware of this to yourself, and schedule several moments to take a moment to move.
Do you have a long phone call scheduled? Then do this outside, while walking! Working from home becomes more productive, as well as healthier. This provides fresh air, a change of scenery (good for your brain), and the necessary exercise. Every little bit helps!
Do you find it difficult to get enough exercise? There are already many initiatives where you can take online classes. One of these initiatives is our own #Recharge Special Edition©!
5. Think about lunch in advance
Getting and preparing lunch can take quite some time (especially if you have to go to three different supermarkets to find what you need). So think about this ahead of time, and do your shopping the night or morning before.
Are there several of you (roommates, partner, family) sitting at home? Then make it a shared moment. Agree on a time, set the table and actually take a break. Should you work alone at home, consider talking on the phone with a colleague during lunch. This will keep lunch a social and relaxing time of your day, boosting your mood and well-being. Whatever you do: don't have lunch at your computer!
6. A clean house, a clear mind
Maintain a clean desk policy at home as well. A tidy desk provides peace of mind.
Are you working in the living room, at the dining room table? Then take some time in the morning to create order before you get to work. You'll find that you'll start your workday with much more peace of mind and thus work more productively at home!
7. Prevent an acute hernia: set up your workstation!
No less important: provide a comfortable workplace. Even if you have to invest just a little more time or money in it than usual: it's worth it. You want to avoid perishing with back pain after only three days. If possible, arrange a keyboard and mouse for your laptop, and put your screen at eye level. A handy option is to put a kitchen or bathroom ladder temporarily on your desk as a standing desk. Or you simply use 2 boxes. With a good stand under your bike, you can easily create your own Bike Desk.
8. Children at home? Make arrangements with neighbors/acquaintances
Reading this while having four children sitting at home, you may be thinking: easier said than done. The situation is indeed not ideal. But see if it is a possibility to make arrangements with others who are in the same situation. For example, do you manage to split the care of the children between the four of you as two couples? Then you can work three full days versus one day with the children.
9. Not enough to do? Pick up a project!
Now, of course, it could also be that your current situation means you simply don't have a whole lot to do. Or that our productive work-at-home tips have made you so productive that you have nothing left to do. You want to avoid turning your workdays into a kind of disguised vacation where you don't really rest mentally because you know you're actually working.
Think to yourself: is there a project that has been lying around for a long time, but never had enough priority? Then set yourself the goal of spending at least 1 hour on this every day, and longer when you have the space to do so.
If this is not an option either, consult with your employer to see if there are any useful courses or trainings you could take right now. There are countless online platforms with courses ranging from programming to interior design. Find out what is needed within your organization, and use this time to become an expert in it!
And a final tip in this context that really doesn't need to be named, of course: use the extra hours you have to do something for someone else. Ask if there is someone nearby who could use help with grocery shopping, cooking or the kids. Set up a volunteer project. Or take an hour to give blood. We're all in this together!
10. Working productively from home starts at the beginning: going to bed on time
Last but not least, also maintain (or boost) your evening routine! Stay aware of the fact that it is basically a normal work week. The earlier you go to bed, the earlier you can get out of bed fit again.
And of course, from Recharge, I recommend turning off your screens as early as 9 p.m.! For the last hour, grab a book or a game so you can roll into bed at 10:00 pm and catch 8 hours of sleep. This is not a bad idea with regard to your physical health either! Tough to get this into your routine? Follow the Recharge Special Edition© To actively engage in this for a week!
Which of these tips has helped you the most with productive working from home?
