With the government advising those who can work from home should, we have decided to post some helpful tips to make the transition a little easier.
Have a clearly defined ‘work space’ at home
When working from home it is important to feel like you are still in a working environment.
Set up your desk space; make sure there is a clear work space area so you feel like you are ‘going’ to work and having that clear separation from home life to your work area.
It’s also worth scheduling breaks and trying to maintain regular working hours where possible.
Use technology to stay connected
As some of us do not know when we will be going back into the office, we need to find other ways to stay connected with our colleagues and the outside world.
Using technology like Skype, Google Hangouts, instant messaging and other videoconferencing tools can make it much easier to check in with co-workers and not to feel so isolated for when you have to work from home.
There are also some useful apps out there, such as free photo to PDF apps which may help with your day to day work.
Take clear breaks
It can be easy to forget to take breaks when your home becomes your office.
Make sure you plan your breaks, especially a lunch break. Use this time as an opportunity to step away from your work space . Try planning an activity in advance, such as reading a book, doing a bit of gardening or even some exercise such as a run or yoga.
Exercise
Exercise is great for the mind, it helps to release endorphins which in turn will work to keep you feeling positive during lockdown.
Working from home can mean you get little exercise during the day, even the walk to the kettle will be closer for some people. Try taking a longer walk around your house whilst the kettle is boiling, and incorporating stairs if you have them. Or you could look up some easy desk exercises you can do whilst seated, such as desk yoga, which will help to get the blood flowing.
Stay Positive
In the current situation we are all facing, it can be very easy to lose all positivity. Our final top tip for working from home is to give you some ideas to stay positive.
For those of us who aren’t used to working from home, we may be missing interaction with people, such as those in their teams at work. Why not try setting up a WhatsApp group with your whole team to share updates with each other like you would when you were in the office. This could be things that have been keeping you and your family busy, or could even be as simple as what you’ve had for lunch that day! Sending photos is a quick and easy way to share that news.
There are also many wonderful apps which can help to look after your mind whilst you are working from home, such as Headspace. These are just simple ways to try and keep a positive mental attitude whilst we are all facing such uncertain times.
We hope you have found our top tips useful over the past week, we hope you are all staying safe.