6 Tips to get the most out of working from home

The world is going through an unprecedented challenge at the moment with trying to control the Coronavirus pandemic. With over one third of the global population on lockdown, Governments are hoping to decrease the spread of the virus by limiting social contact and clamping down on unnecessary travel.

At this moment in time, health comes first and it puts everything else into perspective. With the NHS here in the UK under pressure, we have seen people from all spectrums of society rally around as it will take a collective effort for us to get through this. With Governments also promising stimulus packages to safeguard businesses and employees, there is real will from all concerned to face this challenging issue head on.

Now, one of the consequences of the lockdown is the need for most people to work from home, where possible. This brings tremendous logistical challenges for employers and employees. In this week's blog, we wanted to delve into the world of working from home and highlight some of our top tips for becoming more productive at home.

The challenges of working from home
Working from home presents many issues when trying to complete tasks. When you are in an office environment, everything is geared towards making you work. From the office layout, your desk, your equipment, your colleagues and team, right the way through to your dress code.

This office culture is key to helping businesses, both large and small, maximise the productivity of their employees. However, when you work from home, a lot of these traditional office elements are removed. For example, you have freedom in terms of what you wear, where you decide to work in your home and how much you engage with your co-workers remotely.

Added to the mix are the number of distractions in the home. With the current situation forcing the majority of schools to close, many people are trying to work alongside having other family members in the house and this can prove to be difficult.

Things are further complicated by leisure activities such as having access to stream movies/TV shows as well as play on games consoles. With so many challenges and distractions, it is clear that working from home is not as simple as it sounds.

Why you need to be productive when working from home?
If we are to have a vibrant economy, as many people predict, once we get over the Coronavirus, we need to ensure that our businesses and the talented people that power these businesses continue to work during this lockdown period.

We all recognise that we have been presented with a unique set of circumstances and things will be affected by the Coronavirus as unfortunately people will get ill and be required to self isolate. However, we still need to keep ticking over for our futures but more importantly for our sanity and well being.

So what are our 6 tips to get the most out of working from home?

1. Select the right space to work
You need to be comfortable in your working environment. Where possible, we recommend having a dedicated work space such as a study, home office, garage or spare bedroom. This will allow you to focus on your daily tasks and steer clear of some of the distractions we mentioned above.

2. Get into work mode
While the temptation can be to work in your pyjamas all day, this is not something we recommend. Working from home requires discipline and you need to train your mind to get into work mode. For most people, this means dressing as you would if you were heading to the office and trying to simulate the working experience as much as possible.

3. Make sure you have the right tools
Working from home should not mean a change to the key tools that you utilise within the office in order to succeed at your role. Technology has really helped businesses and employees deploy critical solutions that can help with productivity, communication and execution within the workplace. Ensure you have key programmes up and running and constantly check in with colleagues to ensure you still create that office culture, albeit remotely.

4. Create a schedule
Even with the best will in the world, you will struggle to be productive when working from home unless you create a schedule. Outline your key tasks and plan your day accordingly to ensure you have a structure to your day and you don’t miss key deadlines or projects.

5. Take regular breaks
One of the benefits of working in an office is the regular breaks that most people take, whether it is to make tea/coffee, visit the restroom or a lunchtime walk. It is really important that you take regular breaks and get away from your computer. This could mean doing some exercise, spending time in the garden or just relaxing with your loved ones.

6. Switch off at the end of the day
Our final tip centres around switching off at the end of the working day. Once you shut down your laptop, try to focus on yourself and your family/friends. Although the temptation may be to respond to that email or finish a report, it is really important that you create separation between your work day and personal life for your own well being.

Summary
As we have seen throughout this blog, there are a number of things that you can do to really boost your productivity when working from home during this enforced lockdown period. As a company, here at iOB Business, we are taking every precaution to ensure that our team is adhering to the latest advice from the Government.

We recognise that the current environment is challenging but over the next few weeks we will hopefully start to see the first signs of normality returning to our lives. In the meantime, please take care of yourselves and your loved ones to stay healthy.

Until next time, take care.