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Writer's pictureRhian MacGillivray

How to Work From Home: The Keys to a Productive Day

The pandemic has changed how we work. Now some companies are continuing to promote remote work

A growing number of people are working from home: through obligation due to the international pandemic, through a conscious choice to work at a fully remote company or as a freelancer, or through a combination of remote work and office work.


Technology has given us the ability to continue our tasks in the comfort of our own homes but telecommuting isn’t without its difficulties.


This post discusses how you can work from home successfully as the employment landscape continues to change in light of coronavirus.

How to work from home successfully


Set up your workspace


Whether you have an entire room in your home you can set aside for your office or you have a small corner you can turn into a workspace, you need something. You’re not going to be as productive if you’re sitting in your pyjamas, in bed, trying to get some work done.


Having your own workspace will help you to separate your work life from your private life. This will help you mentally switch off from work when you’re in other parts of your home. It will also help you be more productive when you’re actually working.


Try to find somewhere quiet with natural light. Adapt your space if needed: some people prefer a standing desk, rather than a conventional work desk with chair.


Define your working hours


A separate workspace will help you to distinguish between your work life and your family life, but clearly defining your working hours will help even more.


Your employer may have set hours that you need to work or you may have full control over your hours. Either way, you need to stick to the hours you set.


Sometimes working from home can see your work start to seep into your free time.

You need time to make sure you disconnect mentally and do other things in your life, such as exercise and spend time with others in your household.


And don’t be tempted to run your errands - or other people’s errands - during your working hours. Some people seem to think that when you work from home your work is somehow less important.


That couldn’t be further from the truth. Speaking from experience, try not to let your flexibility be taken advantage of by others.

Minimise distractions


Working from home is not without its distractions. Sometimes you feel like stopping for a snack simply because you’ve got the fridge close by. That’s not a great habit to get into, my waistline will tell you.


But there are other distractions too.


Turn off the television if you find you’re easily side-tracked by certain programmes.


If you’ll be working from home long-term or permanently, invest in some noise-cancelling headphones. These are great if you have noisy neighbours or you live near a street with lots of traffic.


Learn to organise


To work from home successfully, you need to be organised.


Your workspace and desk need to be organised to aid your productivity and reduce your mental stress.


You also need to be organised in your workflow. There are many tools out there that you can use to help you be more productive, such as Trello.


If you find yourself struggling with a heavy workload, or you simply don’t know where to start, set yourself goals for the day/week/month ahead. Establishing a daily routine can also help you to dedicate certain hours to set tasks.


Use a calendar app to organise any meetings or deadlines you have.


And finally, have a good documentation system in place to streamline your processes. That way, you won’t have to spend hours trying to find something you worked on in the past, for example.

Keep up the communication


When working from home for a company, you may still be expected to communicate with your team members, superiors or clients.


There are many tools available in this regard: Slack, Zoom


Regular emails and updates are key too. This will help all team members understand their roles and how work is progressing. As mentioned above, Trello can help to organise work in teams.


Make an effort with others


Remote work can be quite solitary so it’s extremely important that you have some face-to-face interactions with others around you.


Make sure you keep up with friends and you get out of the house during your time off.

You can even meet someone for a coffee or lunch when you’re on your breaks. This will really help you disconnect from your work.


Use the correct technology


Working from home requires you to have the right tools, and technology is a huge part of that these days.


Your laptop or desktop computer needs to be sufficiently powerful to do the work you need to complete.


Internet connection, or WiFi, is another big one. If you have a slow internet connection you’re going to end up frustrated.


You may also need a webcam or microphone to communicate with team members if your device doesn’t have these built-in. Alternatively, you may be able to use your phone.

When you’ve got the kids at home


Given the current pandemic, some people have their kids at home. This makes remote work much more challenging, for good reason.


Make sure you discuss your situation with your employer and colleagues. They may be able to offer you more flexibility in your hours.


If you have a partner who’s also working from home, you can try to reach an agreement where you’re essentially working in shifts, if possible. Or you can alternate the childcare when you have important meetings and deadlines.


Depending on the age of your kids, you might be able to take advantage of their nap times if they’re young. Or you could set them homeschooling tasks to do while you work in shorter, productive bursts.


It’s definitely not easy but this situation hopefully won’t last forever!

The coronavirus pandemic has forced many companies and their workforces to adapt and embrace remote work. Many have suggested it’s something they’ll be looking to adopt full time, or view it as a way to provide more flexibility for people who want to work from home after lockdown restrictions are lifted.


How have you found working at home during the pandemic? If you usually work in an office, is it something you’ll look to do more of after lockdown? Tell me about your experiences in the comments.

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