Which Work-From-Home Tips Actually Work?
Whether you’ve been working remotely for decades, since the pandemic, or just started, sometimes it can be difficult to stay on task. The internet is full of WFH tips to be more productive – but which ones actually work?
Put on shoes…Work intensively for short intervals…Turn off email…Focus in the morning and take care of logistics in the afternoon. The work-from-home (WFH) tips are endless. During the pandemic, many offices implemented work-from-home policies to slow the spread of coronavirus. These policies evolved into a “work from anywhere” trend we still see today. Advice on how to make the most of the situation hasn’t stopped flooding in. Everyone seems to have an opinion about how to optimize productivity.
At the end of the day, figuring out how to maintain a positive and productive work schedule while working from home is a highly individual process. Tactics that are useless for some could be effective for others.
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Keeping Productivity on Track
If you or your staff is struggling to keep productivity on track, whether because of distraction from the latest news or because home doesn’t offer the same discipline as the office, it’s worth giving almost any common tactic a try. That said, some good, well-honed, and tested strategies should be on your list because they work.
The secret with any strategy you adopt for this work-from-home phase is to remain consistent. One of the most important aspects of office life is its stable routine.
Even if you have flexible hours, the likelihood is that you go into the office at more or less the same times every week. In some ways, staying consistent with any of the strategies you adopt is more important than any individual tip or even whichever strategy you choose.
In other words, if you’ve slipped into the habit of making an extra post-breakfast coffee at the start of the work day, then acknowledge it and make it part of the routine. Your brain probably already has started to make the connection between the last-minute kitchen visit and the start of work day — so you may as well strengthen that association.
Those kind of cues help ease the transition into the work day. Meanwhile, here are some strategies worth adopting:
WFH Tip 1: Name an “Accountability Buddy”
Partner with someone in the office — ideally a person familiar with your work but not assigned to the exact same project — who can act as an “accountability buddy.”
In the mornings, share your goals for the day (also a smart way to be thoughtful about the day’s activities rather than skipping around without focus) and check in at the end of the afternoon on how much progress you made.
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WFH Tip 2: Set and Keep a Schedule
Write down your daily schedule, even if you don’t have anything specific for a given day.
Having a start time, scheduled breaks and an end time not only will help you structure your work, it will also help everyone else with whom you’re sharing the remote working location (like…kids).
If you have roommates also working from home, talk about sharing a lunch hour. If you have kids who need your attention, acknowledge that you’ll need to devote time to them, but they’ll also be better off if they understand the difference between working and non-working time.
So even if you end up breaking in the middle of a scheduled work time to deal with an unforeseen issue (Dog needs a walk? Baby needs a nap?), be accountable to starting and ending times so that you have structure that’s bigger than whatever comes up at the moment.
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WFH Tip 3: Get Ready
You probably have clocked a variation on this theme, including maintaining the exact routine you already had for heading into the office. It’s not necessary to maintain the exact same level of professional appearance that you might have in the office — unless you have video meetings — but it’s absolutely crucial to keep certain procedures in place.
That means maintaining morning hygienic routines, including showers and teeth brushing, and dressing in work-appropriate — if more casual — outfits. It’s important to be completely finished with the process before the work day begins.
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WFH Tip 4: Set up a Workspace
Wherever in your home makes the most sense, it’s important to designate a certain work space that doesn’t change. This is where you’ll go at the start of the work day to get going. So, all the better if you can leave your documents and equipment in the same place every evening.
If you don’t have a designated home office, you’ll need to clear your things at the end of each day. Ensure this becomes a habit by creating a travel kit. This could be a simple laptop bag, or a rolling cart. Make sure everyone knows that the space will be yours again for work the next day.
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