Tips for working at home
By: Laura, redwigwam
If you are working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, it might have been hard to know where to start, especially if you have children at home while you need to work.
Here are some tips for working from home successfully.
Set expectations for work and your family
Let your family know you’re going to be busy for a few hours.
Being at home may give your family the impression you’re off to do what you like. As great as that would be – you still have deadlines to hit.
Also, make sure you’re realistic with the goals you’re setting – you may be slightly more distracted with family around than you would in an office.
Have a designated area for work
This is important! Find yourself a space you can really focus.
This could be setting up your own personal desk space, to cleaning the kitchen counter and making it your own personal office for the day.
You will feel much more productive if you have an area to space all your essentials out.
Use your time wisely and stick to a schedule
Working from home can be fun, but also distracting.
Set yourself tasks and goals to hit by the end of your shift.
You can also track your weekly progress by all the tasks you’ve ticked off whilst at home.
Be flexible and mix up your working hours
The best thing about working from home is choosing hours that suit you.
Try mixing up your hours, from the crack of dawn to early evenings. We all work best at different times.
Maintain regular communication with your colleagues
This is important, not only is it great to maintain friendships with your colleagues, it’s great to let them know you’re on hand to help!
Set up a virtual call with them, or communicate with them on a regular basis via a group chat.
Make sure your tech is secure and your WiFi is up to the job
Please ensure you have a password on all of your documents and your virus software is up to date, and checking your laptop/PC regularly.
Working from home also means you need decent WiFi. The last thing you need is technology slowing you down.
You could be ready to do lots of work, but get barely anything done with a dodgy connection!
Take clear breaks
Taking breaks is perfect to stay productive. You can walk the dog on your lunch break or sit in the garden if the weathers nice!
Also remember to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day, to avoid any headaches or grogginess!
We hope these tips have helped, remember working from home is flexible and fun – enjoy it!
