Working from home is a luxury. There’s nothing better (and more challenging) than rolling out of bed 15 minutes before your working day to make some toast and a coffee before 9am. While only 16% of global companies are fully remote, 83% are hybrid, with most only asking employees to go in for essential meetings or once per week, for example. And if you are a work-from-home person, you’ll know that despite it being a luxury you’d never want to lose, it can be difficult.
Read on to learn how to make it easier.
Your Working Area
No, your working area shouldn’t be your home or your bed. And if you can’t fit a proper desk into your room, there are popup desks that are just as good.
If anything, and if you can, buying or building an outhouse (a small one) that takes you away from the home is the most ideal. Using good materials from building merchants, you can have a well-insulated, sturdy working area that takes you away from the cosy vibes of your home.
If you can’t do that, working with what you have can change your attitude towards your working day. Be as far from your leisure spaces as possible, find a good light source (natural light is the best), and have a comfy office chair to sit on.
Working in a clean and uncluttered environment is also essential – a tidy desk is a tidy mind.
Your Pre-Work Routine
So, as nice as it does sound, rolling out of bed 15 minutes before your day starts isn’t effective. Build a pre-work routine to activate your mind and body for the day. Sadly, it starts with waking up with enough time so you don’t feel rushed.
Some people would tell you to get out of the house and take a stroll, but we know that’s not for everyone. Instead, wake up one hour before your working day and take a shower. Do your morning skincare routine (whatever that looks like), get dressed into normal clothes, make a coffee, and take 10 minutes to relax.
Try to get to your desk 10 minutes before your working day begins.
Your Tactical Working Day Routine
We call it tactical because there are things you can do to keep yourself focused when you’re working from home that you can’t as easily do when you’re working. And without that office environment, it’s so much more difficult to stay focused 24/7. Even with the office environment, let’s be real, it’s not easy to stay focused 24/7.
We’d recommend taking a 5-10 minute break every hour to refocus. It’s actually recommended to take a five-minute break if you’re working on a computer to protect your eyes. Stand up, move away from the screen (not to your phone), and stretch your legs. A good system people like to use is the Pomodoro system – work for 25 minutes and take a 5-minute break. It’s so useful for keeping the mind fresh.
You can also make to-do lists and use task management apps.
Some people like the office environment, but most people will admit the idea of working from home is 10x better. Still, finding ways to make it easier and keep the focus is essential for a successful work-from-home day.