August 4th 2022
Working from home is now becoming more of a mainstay in modern business. There are many benefits to a partially present workforce, from saving on office bills and increased connectivity within teams working outside of the office. So, it’s easy to see why both businessowners and workers alike are talking highly of the flexibility that working from home can bring. 97% of the remote workforce have expressed an interest in continuing their remote working patterns for the rest of their working careers, which is a staggering number, as the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.
Being at home during your workday can come with its own positives and negatives. Familiar environments can breed bad habits that stick over time. So, how do you maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle, all while keeping focused on your tasks whilst at home?
We’re going to explore what the difficulties of a day-to-day working-from-home life can bring and provide you with some easy tips that can help you keep the flow of your day – every day.
Challenges of Working from Home
Before we dive in, let’s discuss what some of the difficulties can be when working from home.
First of all, and possibly most importantly, it’s very easy to start to feel isolated after some time. With a noticeable decline in in-person contact, it can hinder your ability to collaborate, leaving some people feeling less motivated.
You can also start to feel the boredom creep in over time too. Being bored will naturally lead to a worsening output on your part, so it’s important to keep yourself focused on the tasks at hand.
Being at home can be a jarring place to work. There can be so many interruptions going on around you, from children distracting you to people knocking at the door forcing you out of work mode and back into home mode – a difficult state to return from.
Lastly, technical issues can be the bane of your life. With Wi-Fi cutting off at inopportune times, to difficulties connecting to your work’s systems and platforms and even a piece of your tech going caput – it can be a very frustrating experience.
Now that we’ve explored some of the pitfalls, let’s focus on what you can do to make the most of each day when working from home.
1. Start the Day with Mindfulness
Firstly, we suggest practicing mindfulness right at the beginning of the day. Mindfulness may seem like a term that is thrown about a lot these days but taking some time for introspection can really help to set up your mental state for the rest of the day. You could take some time in the morning to make a short bullet-pointed list of things you want to achieve that day or dedicate some time to a spot of yoga to clear your mind. Either way, make sure that you start the day with a focus on you.
2. Always Remember to Eat Breakfast
We understand that sometimes it’s hard to find time for breakfast if you have a bus to catch or need to jump into your car and get going ASAP. Working from home completely negates the need for this rush, giving you ample time in the morning to fill your energy stores until your lunch break. It’s a well-known fact that regularly skipping breakfast can have adverse health effects, so make sure you’re getting something down you before your busy day. This will help to improve your focus right from the get-go!
3. Stay Hydrated
Much like that first important meal, keeping hydrated throughout the day will not only help to keep you focused, but will also provide a myriad of other health benefits too. While we do think a nice cup of tea or coffee can help during a workday, try to drink lots of water too. Simple and easy, just regular water. It’s the lifeblood of the planet for a reason, and us humans are made mostly of it too! Make sure you always keep a bottle of water handy and top up as needed.
4. Exercise Regularly – Daily if Possible!
Now, we understand if this one is a little unachievable during those hectic workdays, but regularly exercising is a fantastic way to boost productivity and your mood. People who exercise regularly have a better mental health and emotional wellbeing, so even a couple times a week can really help you to see a benefit not only in your work, but in your regular home life too. Why not try working out twice a week, and then three times a week, and work up to exercising every day for short stints to really see a benefit.
5. Maintain a Routine
Keeping to a routine each day can really help you when working from home. Keeping a list of items that are yet to be completed, and structured lunch and break times away from work or the computer will all feed into your mind that you know what’s coming next. It can also help you keep a mental checklist of where you are and what you’re doing, helping to give you a sense of completion for the day.
Breakfast – mindfulness – start work – lunch break – work – exercise break – work – finish.
Keeping a structured day will give you a sense of purpose and fulfilment.
6. Schedule Your Breaks
As discussed in the previous point, breaks are a very important part of your working day when at home. It can be very easy to lose track of time and forget to take a break or be so engrossed in a piece of work that you miss the opportunity to step away. Taking breaks at regimented times of the day will not only help to solidify the structure of your own day, but your co-workers will also know that you’re not available during these times, giving you a proper, uninterrupted break for a short time. We also suggest setting alarms for when these times are coming up, so you never accidentally run over!
7. Vamp Up Your Home Office
The environment in which you work plays a huge factor in how productive you can be. We suggest you craft a space in which you can work at your best. Whether its new technology that will help you out, or even something as simple as a lick of paint or a new plant, vamping up your home office or working area can really lift your mood and allow you to produce the best work you can in a comfortable space. If you have the luxury of a dedicated office room, pick colour schemes and decorations that you really enjoy to bring the best out of it – and you.
8. Set Personal (and Professional) Goals & Objectives
Goal setting is a clear and easy way to measure what you’re doing against what needs to be done. It’s used in business all around the world to ensure employees are working to the fullest. When working from home, however, that responsibility can sometimes fall to you to resolve.
Set yourself objectives each day for what you aim to accomplish and then revisit at the end of the day to see if you managed them. It sounds simple, and it is! Set personal goals such as maintaining good water intake, exercise regimes and keeping healthy relationships with friends and family. You can also set professional goals too, by aiming to complete a piece of work by a set time or increasing collaboration with team members.
9. Dress for Success
If you look good, you feel good. It’s a tale as old as time, but it really is true. This ties into both your routine and your environment, because if you take the time to focus on yourself and look and feel the best you can, you free up more mental capacity for your work during the day. It sounds very tempting to work from home whilst lounging around in your pyjamas, but getting up bright and early, showering and dressing in smart, yet comfortable clothes will do far more for your productivity. This is because it forces the mindset to switch from home to work.
10. Set Boundaries with Friends and Family
When working from home, it’s very important that others in your household understand that you’re not available during certain times. Distractions can happen all the time at home, we understand that, but you’ll need to ensure boundaries are set from day one. Working from home blurs the lines between home life and work life, and it’s up to you to draw that line back in.
Let your friends and family know your schedule, or plan times and visits personally for when you know you’ll be available. If you are living with family, also let them know when you’re going into a meeting for example, so they can not disturb you. Only allow interruptions if there’s an urgent issue.
The working from home boom is continuing to show that not everyone needs to be in the office at all times. In fact, many businesses nowadays are preferring this more relaxed approach, as they see overheads reducing with no real hit to their employees’ productivity.
We hope this article has given you an insight into what you can do to make the most of every day when working from home, and how you can keep both physically and mentally healthy to stay focused on your tasks at hand.
If you’re a business owner who’s looking to reduce their space to accommodate those now working from home, why not head over and take a look at our range of serviced offices or our managed office spaces that can be tailored to your exact needs today.
