Whether you are having the odd privilege of working from home or have found yourself avoiding Covid-19 with some self-isolation, you may find yourself having a few weeks of working from home!

We all know that working from home can seem like the dream, working in your PJs, unlimited food from your fridge, endless cuddles with your pets and no one can see that you are still in bed… Yet, once you have done the first three days working from home, you may start to hit a wall with a lack of productivity and boredom. So, we are here to help with a few of our top tips to avoid falling back asleep and ensuring a positive work-life balance!

Maintain Regular Work From Home Hours

Creating a schedule and sticking to it is hard to achieve, even when in an office working with plenty of distractions around you. However, when working from home, it is even more important to create deadlines and times to stick to. Try to stick to the normal working hours, if you are an early bird then you could see if you can start early, but avoid starting late as you will really see the time going slowly when others say they are logging off for the evening!

Avoid PJs, Get Dressed!

We know you may be tempted to grab your laptop and start working from there. However, that is not the best practice to get into! Staying in your PJs can make you become more lazy and willing to work, so getting dressed can help you become more professional. You don’t have to wear work clothes, just make sure to avoid dressing gowns and you are good to go!

Get Into a Morning Routine

Once you have got out of bed, grabbed a shower and are feeling ready to seize the day, okay, even if you aren’t ready for the day, what is the next step? Create a routine that helps set you up. Maybe grab a cup of coffee while having a browse on social media or go for a quick jog. Anything which helps you prepare for the work from home day ahead is useful!

Find a Comfortable Place to Work

Not all houses will be set up with a good place to work, so it may be a struggle to find one. If you don’t have a desk and chair in your house, try your dining table or breakfast bar (if you have one). You may also be used to a standing desk, so get creative when looking for workspaces!

It is also worth talking with housemates and family in the house to ensure everyone has space, especially if there are a few of you at home. The last thing you want is your housemate playing his much-loved drums when you are on important business calls and trying to create a professional environment!

Finally, try to avoid working in places such as your bed or sofa. This is because they are places for relaxing, so don’t get them confused with your working environment.

Schedule Breaks

When at work, you are bound to have the odd break, maybe when grabbing coffee, or as any girl will know, the gossip that goes on even in the Ladies bathroom! Just because you’re working from home definitely doesn’t mean you can’t be taking breaks - you’re still working!

With this being said, don’t fall into the trap of taking too many. You’re going to be in your own home where you feel comfortable, so it will be easy to take longer and more often breaks than usual. Therefore it is important to schedule your own breaks so you know when you can take them and stay in a routine.

Organisation!

You have definitely heard about this skill before! When working from home it is still very important to stay organised, as it is far easier to lose things in any room in your house than just your desk at work.

Try to keep everything together, maybe you have an old folder or drawer that’s not in use? Make a designated area to keep everything together. Trust me, it will make your life far easier!

Keep in Contact and Stay Connected

We are very lucky that nowadays it is fairly easy to keep updated with others, whether that is by texts or on video calls, so even if you live alone, you really aren’t!

If you don’t have a laptop you can use for work use, then make sure to ask for one! Employers will expect that you need some home office setup so don’t be afraid to ask for things that you need to be productive. 

Change Your Environment When Work Is Done!

So, the working hours are over! What next? Try and make yourself understand that the day of work is done! It can be hard switching off from work when you haven’t had to leave the office or change your environment, so try and make the step from work to personal time. Shutting off your laptop and saying bye to your work colleagues for the day helps you ‘leave the office’.

Looking for something a bit different? Why not set up your own business and start freelancing work? The world is your oyster! There is plenty of advice such as Enplugs guide to Digital Signage Content Creation Tools. Why not check out all the marketing facts to get you on your feet. If you are growing your online brand, then UX design is key in ensuring a flawless design.

Finally, enjoy your work from home! It may be a struggle to keep going, so work hard, take breaks and hopefully, the world will be back to normal soon. If you are looking for work from home jobs then you are also in luck, check out these jobs!