At FHC Socials, we ourselves are a fully remote team, and working from home definitely has its perks! However we also understand it can be difficult to stay motivated without that ‘traditional’ office environment to keep you on track. Check out our top three tips for staying productive when working from home below.
1. Have a set working environment
When working from home, you ideally need a specific place dedicated to getting your work done. As tempting as it is, that means not only working from your bed, or on the sofa in front of the tv! Not everyone has the luxury of a home office environment, or a whole room dedicated to working. But that doesn’t mean you can’t carve out a specific workspace. Try:
- Working from your kitchen or dining room table.
- Investing in a small desk that can be put in a corner of a living room or bedroom.
- If you’ve got the time, think about renovating your garage or shed!
- You could even consider taking days out to work in an internet cafe or coffee shop.
By having a dedicated space for work mode, it helps you separate your work life from home life, and means you can switch off at the end of the day just like if you were leaving the office!
2. Give yourself set working hours
When working from home, the temptation is to just work whenever you like, because your laptop is never far away. For many of us, this is convenient, but it can result in bad habits like forgetting to take a lunch break, or working way too late at night. This creates an unhealthy work life balance and stops you getting the rest you need.
Aim to have set working hours (for example, 9-5) like you would in a real office environment, and ensure you take things like lunch breaks seriously. One thing I try to do is mimic a ‘commute’ by spending 15 minutes walking or jogging outside in the fresh air before and after work. It gives you the time you need to mentally switch off from work mode, and come into relaxing mode!
3. Embrace the perks
It’s important to remember that working from home definitely isn’t all bad, and there are a lot of benefits to take advantage of. They’re probably the reason why you made the decision to work from home in the first place. It could be:
- The luxury of being able to head off to the fridge for snacks whenever you feel like it.
- Being able to squeeze in household chores like putting on a load of washing between meetings.
- Being able to take care of your children whilst still getting your work done.
- Having a furry friend keeping you company.
So if you’re working from home and struggling to stay motivated and productive, give our top tips a try and let us know how you go on!