Working From Home and How to Do It Right - Our Guide

Working From Home and How to Do It Right - Our Guide

Due to a year long period of Covid-19, working remotely has now officially become part of the new normal.  Sure, you won’t have to get out of your pyjamas or brave the long commute to an office an hour away from home - certainly a positive from my perspective. However, the fun typically comes to a halt when your Internet becomes spotty, or you begin having trouble getting out of bed. 

In an office setting, your most significant obstacle is lingering too long over water cooler conversations or tempting lunch distractions. At home, your greatest enemy is yourself. Without a communal obligation to stay on top of tasks, diversions are everywhere. Perhaps you’ll step away from your desk to sneak in an episode of your favourite show or take a too-long nap. 

Whatever the case, coming up with the appropriate workday routine can keep you on a manageable timeline. Here are a few tips to get your gears turning and fingers working. 

Tip 1 - Get an Early Start

If you were never a morning person, now is the best time to get into the habit. When heading to the office, the morning commute is typically enough to wake your mind and body. Using a pillow on your lap as a desk, on the other hand, tells a different story. 

Dive into your to-do list as soon as you get out of bed. Regardless of the task, accomplishing something early on in your day motivates you to keep going. 

Tip 2 - Role Play an Office Setting

Your home is now your office, so you’re going to want to start treating it as such to encourage productivity. As tempting as it is to work in your robe or to sit on the couch or carpet, do everything you would on a regular workday to get into the mindset. 

Set your alarm, hop into the shower, dress up, and grab a coffee. By pretending you’re heading to the office, you become less tempted to throw yourself back into the loving arms of your mattress and duvet. 

Tip 3 - Structure Your Day

With no manager to keep an eye on you, you’re at risk of losing focus or experiencing burnout. Just because you have more time to linger doesn’t mean you should. Adhere to a rough schedule—similar to the one you’d generally stick to in the office. 

Set reminders on your mobile phone or laptop—hello Google! Knowing when to shift gear gets you to pick up the pace on sluggish mornings and motivate you to tick off tasks on your to-do list. 

Tip 4 - Appoint a Dedicated Workspace

Dedicate an end of the dining table or desk in your living space to work. Perhaps you have a favourite coffee shop in mind. If you’re unable to leave home, consider a standing desk setup to keep your blood flowing and take five minutes in every hour to do some stretching. 

No matter how many tasks you think you can achieve in bed, it won’t get you into the right frame of mind. When possible, avoid taking work into the bedroom. Don’t associate your place of rest with your place of work. Otherwise, you won’t be able to separate the two. 

Tip 5 - Get Moving

On that note, if your home office isn’t doing the trick, don’t hesitate to hit the local library or a shared workspace if it's permitted. Even outside of the office, a coffee shop setting can simulate the energy you’d experience in a regular workspace. 

You may think you need utter silence, but the noiselessness can be deafening. A little white noise and chatter can get your work juices flowing in ways you wouldn’t expect. 

Working outside of your home also removes the potential to veer off track. Without your gaming console or television in reach, there’s nothing to keep you away from your tasks—except, maybe, another coffee. 

Tip 6 - Avoid Social Media

Once you get browsing on Facebook, it becomes challenging to ever stop—that’s the point. The first step to avoiding an hour-long scroll on Instagram or Twitter is to remove them from your browser shortcuts. Then, log out (and don’t forget to scribble down your password if you tend to forget them). Hint: work on Incognito Mode if browsing on Chrome—it’ll keep you automatically logged out of all your accounts. 

If you don’t trust your ability to stay off social media, consider downloading a blocking app. Never underestimate the power of impulse—even if you don’t mean to click into a site, a few minutes of downtime can result in hours of sifting through memes and chatting with friends. 

Tip 7 - Commit to Doing More

Projects typically take longer to accomplish than you think they will—but it doesn’t mean lowering your expectations. Instead, overestimate how much time you think you’ll spend getting a task out of the way. If you come up short of your goal, you’ll still have a handful of achievements to celebrate. In the best case, you’ll tick more than you expect off your to-do list, which is even more cause for celebration. 

By overcommitting, you stay honest to yourself, even when you have the urge to indulge in a distraction. With that in mind, don’t punish yourself for taking the occasional break. Allot an hour for lunch and two half-hour breaks within your schedule to engage in other activities. 

Consider taking a quick jog around the block in between tasks to keep your brain and body stimulated. As much as possible, engage in something physically active throughout the day. Whether it be to squeeze in a quick, 20-minute training app session or some yoga, keeping your body awake can also keep your mind alert. 

If you tend to slink into your seat after hours of typing away at a screen, a height-adjustable standing desk can—literally—keep you on your toes. 

Conclusion

Nowadays, work-from-home roles and general telecommunication are taking over traditional office setups. They allow employees to work at their own pace, which encourages higher levels of productivity. However, it can also put you at risk of the opposite. Coming up with a schedule that works for you takes time—don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get it right from the get-go!

To start crafting your stand up workspace, shop with Movi Workspace for tools that will keep you active and motivated. We know the pitfalls of fatigue better than anyone and are ready to set you up with the best possible home office!