You’ve seen all the “working from home hacks” floating around on social media, telling you to meditate, journal, and/or run 5 km… all before looking at your work emails. Whilst these are commendable goals, for many people who have suddenly found themselves working from home for the first time, they are also unrealistic.
Tick off these pragmatic, achievable tasks to keep you productive and motivated.
- Have a home office (or desk area) set up: this is key. Make sure you only have work-related items on your desk. Clutter is your enemy; organisation is your friend.
- Take breaks to look away from the screen; stretch your legs; hydrate & caffeinate.
- Get outside and take in fresh air, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. Fresh air is proven to help with concentration, information retention, and cardiovascular health.
- Find your perfect balance of conference calls: the number of calls that meets the socialisation/productivity needs of one person may not be the right one for you.
- Have a morning routine (where possible): walk your dog, shower, eat something, enjoy a coffee, and then sit at your desk. Some days will be more difficult than others, but try to be consistent. Routines may not be exciting, but they’re helpful: if looking at your emails first thing in the morning works for you, keep doing it.
- Get comfortable. That doesn’t mean working in your PJs… it means wearing slippers instead of heels; or a comfortable sweater instead of a business shirt & tie.
- Sometimes the best start to the day is preparing for it the night before. Invest the last few minutes before you clock out to review what tomorrow will look like.