Do All The Things From Your Routine

If you are transitioning from office to remote work, it can be difficult to start your day without your normal morning routine. Your routine is probably what makes you awake and prepared to start your workday, so try to do all the things you normally would do. It can be very unproductive to just roll out of your bed to the computer or work in your pyjamas. Set your clock normally as you would for work, make a coffee, maybe have some breakfast and do a quick workout to wake up your body and brain. Do all the things necessary to make your day as usual as possible, or maybe switch things up. This can be a great time to make a new routine or do something you didn’t have time for because of the morning commute.

Make a To-Do List

Many people are procrastinators, and if we are staying at home it might feel like a „day off“ but it’s not, and you don’t get anything done. To avoid this, make a to-do list with all the tasks you need to accomplish this day. You probably have some type of schedule or to-do list at your office, so use one at your home too. Writing down tasks can prepare you mentally for work and minimize any type of distractions. Don’t fill your list with too many tasks. It might overwhelm you and can be counterproductive. Start your list with three main tasks and a couple of smaller tasks and go from there. If you see you can do more, add to the list.

Keep to a Schedule and Hours

Like your morning routine before work, you probably have a workday routine. To make the most out of your remote job, create a routine that you will follow each day. It sets a clear structure for your day. If you don’t have a schedule, you will probably put off your work until the last minute. Write down or print out a schedule that you can look at any time to keep you accounted for. If you are used to having a manager do this for you, this can be a good replacement. On the other hand, many remote workers spend too many hours working. Making a schedule can keep you from working too many or too little hours.

Stay in Touch

Even though you are working from home, that doesn’t mean you are working completely alone. You probably have to keep in touch with your boss, manager or your client. There are many apps and tools that can help you in your working process, like project management, video calls, and collaborations. It’s important to keep in touch so you don’t feel isolated and to help you be more focused. Working from home can sometimes feel like you are not actually doing anything, or that your work is less important. That is not the case. Working from home is equally important, and keeping in touch with your co-workers and other people connected to your job can help you feel grounded and valuable.

Create Boundaries

Working from home can sometimes feel like a vacation, and it can be difficult to create boundaries, both physical and personal. You need to create a space just for your work where you can easily focus and get in the working mode. If possible, create a separate workspace, or even a whole room dedicated to your job. If you are running low on free space, try to have a small desk where you can work. If your kitchen table is the same as your work table, try to add things that will help you be focused like calendars or to-do lists. Keep your house and your desk tidy so you don’t have any unnecessary distractions.

Have a Work-Life Balance

Remote workers very often stretch their working hours way more than they should, many of the working a lot more than 40 hours a week. This can create an unbalanced life, as you often prioritize your work from your social and personal life. Creating a schedule can help you in a good work-life balance, so you have the best of both worlds. Working from home can sometimes be uninspiring, so try to implement a few pick-me-ups and perks to brighten your day. Have some nice decorations and bright colours around you to spark creativity and boost your mood. Flowers are great for boosting your productivity, so you can try the same day flower delivery in Melbourne if you live in this area. Make your day a bit brighter with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Don’t Procrastinate or do Personal Work

Being at home can be very tempting to do other things like house chores, watching tv or using your phone all the time. Don’t use your phone for personal calls or social media, just like you wouldn’t at the office. It can be very distracting, and you won’t get your job done on time. Try to work in a separate place from your family so you won’t get distracted. On the other hand, don’t overwork yourself and have at least one break to eat something and do some stretches.

Working from home can be amazing, as you have all the comfort you want but still get the job done. Your biggest enemy can be distractions or procrastination. Create schedules to maximize your workflow. Have a separate space for working if possible, and remember to have breaks and not overwork yourself.

There are plenty of articles out there telling you how to set up a home office to avoid distractions. But what happens when you have to work in — gulp — an actual office? You know, not at home?

My proposal: start thinking of every office as a “home office.” This means: make every office a place where you can be relaxed and productive, comfortable and focused.

How to do that? Here are some suggestions.

1. Don’t stock your desk with office supplies

This may sound weird. But what happens when you need some office supplies, and they’re not in your desk? That’s right: you get up. And move. And maybe talk to someone else.

At very least, it gives you an excuse to get out of your chair. At home this happens all the time (because you want to make sure that pint of Ben and Jerry’s hasn’t disappeared from the fridge, right?). Make it happen in your office.

2. Have. Good. Coffee. In. Your. Office.

For most of us, getting good work done means doing small tasks and then rewarding yourself. What better reward than a good cup of coffee?

If you’re running an office, paying for good coffee is a cheap way to make the day that much more exciting for all your employees. And to turn home into “where you drink coffee to get to the place where you drink better coffee.”

3. Break your schedule up

One of the advantages of working at home is that when you’re stuck in the middle of something, it’s easy to find an excuse to get up for 5 minutes. Maybe you do the dishes. Maybe you fold laundry. Maybe you run around in your underwear. (Hey, it’s your house.) Then you come back with your head a little clearer.

Schedule the same sort of thing at work. Keep a list of “little things” that take 5 or fewer minutes to do. When you’re stuck, do one of them. This can be a great way to import the rhythms of the home office. (Even if you can’t run around in your underwear.)

4. Get some plants

Can I be honest? My thumb is about as far from green as thumbs get.

But you know what? I’ve learned. Study after study shows that plants relieve stress and increase productivity. So I make sure that both my home office and my “office office” have plants.

Try a peace lily. Or a snake plant. Or, for something a little more fun, lemon balm.

5. Support your back

When you’re working from home, you may sit on a cushy chair or set a pillow behind your seat. Perhaps you work sitting up straight on your bed, or lounge on the soft couch. Either way, you’re doing what feels best for your back.

A good chair should offer both lumbar and pelvic support, to encourage good posture. Sitting in a measly desk chair is already bad, but throw some slouching in there and you’ve got yourself a mix of backaches, headaches, and lack of focus.

Do yourself a favor, and get a nice chair. Instead of daydreaming of your spry younger days, you’ll enjoy working in the office more and especially like going home without the feeling of a broken spine.

6. Quiet things down

You know what’s great about having a home office? No chatter. Or, if you like music, lots of it!

So, when not at home, get yourself a pair of good quality, noise-cancelling headphones.

This lets you go into the cave when you need to. And when you take them off, there’s a big, friendly world out there.

7. Mix it up!

For the most part, those work-from-home days end up inside a cafe. Or a park. Or — let’s be real — your bed. There’s so much freedom in location and it’s easy to change rooms when you hit a mental wall, or have the sudden urge to be near a window.

Moving around lets you stretch your legs and refocus when you settle back down. Having different workspace areas within an office has been shown to offer greater flexibility and increased productivity. If your work has the space, go between conference rooms, lunchrooms, beanbags, and more!

If your office is tight on space, quick jaunts around the block can also offer a refreshing change of pace. But much like home, you should feel able to move around as needed.

8. Focus on results rather than hours

This is maybe the biggest one. After all, one great thing about working from home is that if you take 30 minutes off, nobody will know. Especially if you’re exceeding all your benchmarks.

What’s the takeaway? That the easiest way to make a work office feel like a home office is to emphasize results. Be reasonable about when people can come and go, as long as they’re getting things done.

This can be a tough one, depending on the culture of your office. But it’s worth making your supervisors aware. And if you manage other people, strive to implement this kind of culture.

The point in all of these is to make the office feel like a place where you can be focused and get work done, without it feeling so formal that you don’t want to be there. Do this and, maybe, you’ll never go home again!

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