With our current climate, many people have had to jump into working from home without having the opportunity to properly prepare emotionally, mentally, and physically. It’s safe to say, it’s a big shift all around! Understandably, you might feel as though you’re attempting to determine your new normal as you go. To help you create a work from home life you can grow to enjoy, we thought we would offer our top 10 work from home tips. For many of our Shopkick teams, working from home is part of our weekly routine. So, here’s how we get things done:
10 Work from Home Tips:
1. Keep Your Routine
If you had a morning routine you enjoyed before the quarantine went into effect, make sure to keep that going! If you like to get up and workout first thing, continue doing that. Maybe you look forward to drinking coffee and checking social media – keep it up! Routines help us to feel “normal”, and having that sense of normalcy will keep your productivity going throughout your day.
2. Get Dressed
Shopkickers, getting dressed it key! We know it’s tempting to stay in your pajamas all day because the option of going out is suddenly no longer a true possibility. But, getting dressed will likely make you feel more alert and ready to tackle your day. Again, this also relates to the above of creating and continuing your routine – getting dressed will likely make you feel better. And, for that reason, it’s worth it!
3. Explain Your Work to Family
Working from home can feel tricky, especially if you’re home with kids, other family members, or partners who aren’t joining you by working from home. Your loved ones might spot you and think because you’re also home, you’re free to spend time together. So, set work from home boundaries. Maybe your signal to be interrupted is an open door, or perhaps you step away to enjoy a snack or lunch together. Reminding those you love and who also love you that you’re still working even though you’re home will help everyone to adjust through the transition.
4. Create Your Workspace
If you typically work in an office setting, you likely spend your days at your desk. However, the options will likely feel endless at home. Decide where you would like to work, but don’t feel limited in your options. If you have a desk at home and you enjoy working there, go for it. But, if you would prefer to work from your table or living room, that’s fine too. As a general note: kitchen counters, especially those that have bar height counters can serve as excellent standing desks. Move around your house! It may help your productivity and inspiration.
5. Soak in the Sun
We’ve all woken up to a rainy day and felt like going back to sleep. Working without natural light in sight has the ability to make you feel tired before you begin, so work where you can see the sun. Natural light helps us to feel energized, and working by a window also offers the opportunity to enjoy a nice view and even catch a glimpse of people walking outside.
6. Don’t Snack
One of the top questions many people ask when they’re first starting to work from home is how to avoid snacking. The answer is simple and complicated at the same time: don’t do it! To go back to the first point we mentioned about keeping a routine, keep your breakfast and lunch times intact throughout the day. This will help you to feel satisfied because you will already know when your next mealtime will occur. The other tip: choosing not to work from your kitchen (and the source of the snacks) will likely help if you feel like your willpower is in question.
7. Socialize
The biggest complaint many have to offer about working from home is the lack of socialization. You likely went from eating lunch with coworkers and attending in person meetings throughout the day to being by yourself for hours on end. So, make it a point to meet with coworkers for meetings, meals, and even post-work cocktails over Zoom and Google Hangout. If you’re leading work meetings, start things off by asking everyone round table style how they’re doing. A quick catch up has the ability to remind everyone that though you’re not all physically together, you’re still equally as connected virtually.
8. Go for a Walk
It’s easy to not even realize how many steps you take walking to and from your car into work and throughout your workplace during the day until you’re at home without the need to move around as much. So, get outside! Take a walk in the morning before you start working, plan to walk again after lunch, and consider taking another walk at the end of your day. Use this time to listen to music, an audiobook, or a podcast. You’ll feel refreshed and energized to keep going, and you’ll get your steps in.
9. Log Off
When you’re working from home, you’re likely working from your computer, which is now just feet or a few rooms away from you at all times. The temptation to work at odd times or to keep working into the night is definitely there. But, if you typically walk away from work when you work in-person, keep that up! The best way to make sure this happens is to sign out of all of the apps and programs you use rather than keeping them open on your desktop. Knowing you have to login oftentimes provides enough of a barrier to keep you from continuing to work.
10. Plan Your Evening
The other thing that will help you to sign off from work and feel as though you still have separation between your personal and professional lives is to make plans during the evening. Schedule a call with friends, let your family know you want to have a movie night together, remember to watch your favorite TV shows, workout virtually, make dinner, catch up on chores, etc. Knowing you have things to do will make you feel encouraged to use your time well during the day so you can rest at night.
Do you work from home? What do you find helps you to embrace it? Let us know on Facebook!
