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Working from home tends to go one of two ways, depending\nupon how we approach it. We can either find that our productivity plummets as\nwe succumb to the lack of structure, or that our efficiency soars, as we\nembrace the chance to establish our own way of going about things! Research\nsuggests that a well-formed telecommuter lifestyle can deliver improved\nefficiency and greater work yield, but that strategy is required to ensure that\nour minds remain vibrant and thriving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of us have recently found ourselves telecommuting for\nthe first time, courtesy of the Covid-19 pandemic. Others might be simply\ntransitioning to a new work approach. After all, many dream of working from\nhome! Whichever best describes you, read on to discover some great strategies\nthat can make your homeward-bound career move a solid success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Create A Designated Workspace<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Much of the mastery in working from home lies in learning to\nswitch from the home mindset, to the work mindset. Rather like a muscle, the\nmore you practice and cultivate this ability, the stronger and more adept it\nwill become! Setting the scene with a designated workspace will go a long way\nin getting you started. Rather than trying to type away at the kitchen table\nsurrounded by kids, or under the duvet in your pyjamas, pick a quiet room or\ncorner, and claim it as your work zone. Make the area pleasant, tidy, and organized,\nwith everything you need to hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Be A Stickler For Ergonomics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Having mentioned steering clear of the temptation to work in\nbed, it is vital to address ergonomics. Wherever you work, you will be spending\na lot of time in the same position. Sitting or lounging with poor posture won\u2019t\ndo your body or mind any favours at all! Make sure that your work set-up is not\ngoing to leave you with aching shoulders or a bad back. If necessary, invest in\na decent office chair, a standing desk, and consider investing in a wrist rest\nfor your keyboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Maintain A Healthy Sleep Schedule<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our minds require high quality R&R in order to function\nat their best. Making the shift to working from home might leave you feeling\ninclined to let your sleep schedule slide, but it is important to resist the\nurge. You might not miss the office, but you were probably benefiting from the\nregular routine that office hours afforded you. Poor sleep will leave you more\nprone to depression, and less able to perform cognitive tasks, access memory\nrecall, and find inspiration. Make sure you get those Z\u2019s!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Create A Get-Ready-For-Work Ritual<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You most likely used to get in the zone for the day ahead\nover the course of your commute. Recreate this transitional phase of the day in\nany way you see fit but do figure out how to incorporate it. You could start\nyour day with a quick stroll, to mimic your old walk to the office. Rather than\nswinging into Starbucks, you could enjoy a cup of coffee in a spot with a good\nview. Take a few minutes to help your mind pass from one state to the next!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Stick To Your Routine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a video conference meeting at midday, you might\nfeel inclined to stay in bed, but a lack of routine quickly becomes a slippery\nslope. Try to get started at the same time each day \u2013 just as you would in the\noffice of an employer. If your workload dictates that you can take time off,\nschedule it on a calendar to help your mind distinguish the different functions\nwithin your day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. Schedule Regular Breaks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Without breaks, we can find ourselves staring blankly at a\nscreen for longer than we\u2019d like to admit or sneaking onto social media in a\nway that eats half our day! A few minutes of down time are valuable to\nproductivity. Focusing on something else for a while can allow our brains to\nclear out, much like RAM upon a reboot, allowing us to come back to the task at\nhand, feeling refreshed and ready to start anew. Allocate windows in which you\ncan hop onto Instagram, check your messages, or get up and move about. The rise\nof telecommuting has brought a lot of attention to the Pomodoro Technique,\nwhich promotes such mini breaks as a means to not only increase productivity,\nbut to reduce stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. Make Nutrition & Hydration A Priority<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Without the formality of mealtimes, it can be tempting to\nreach for snacks rather than eating healthily. Because nutrition and hydration\nare essential for your mental health, choose to steer yourself into healthy\nhabits. Stock up on fruit, nuts, and veg if you need something to nibble. Avoid\nusing sugar to propel your day, as its impact will come back to haunt you. Keep\nwater or herbal teas on rotation and let working from home enhance rather than\nharm your health!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8. Get Up & Get Moving<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Working from home can leave us feeling extra-sedentary, as\nwe not only work in a state of stillness, but no longer need to travel, or even\nleave the house! Keep your blood pumping, and stave off cabin fever by adding\nexercise to your routine. Whether you take walks, do a home workout, or head to\nthe health centre is up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 9. Set A Time To Clock Out<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Studies show that telecommuters tend to work longer hours\nthan those working on site \u2013 around 1.4 more days per month than their\noffice-based counterparts. This can be valuable to a point, but the risk of\nburnout remains just as real, even when we work from home. Avoid hitting the\nwall by allocating a clock out time at the end of each day and assigning\nyourself regular days off. Your mind and body will thank you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 10. Connect With Others Working From Home Online<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Working from home is a fast-growing trend that is only likely to increase \u2013 and be retained as we emerge into a new post-pandemic status quo. Social media is full of groups in which professionals share and support each other in working from home and provide all sorts of tips and tricks. If social media is not really your style, consider building connections with other telecommuters from your company, or other freelancers in your field. Working remotely does not require a sense of isolation, so do ensure that you establish the right kind of support network from the get go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n by Lizzie \/ Soure: tea pot<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Working from home tends to go one of two ways, depending upon how we approach it. We can either find that our productivity plummets as we succumb to the lack of structure, or that our efficiency soars, as we embrace the chance to establish our own way of going about things! Research suggests that a well-formed telecommuter lifestyle can deliver improved efficiency and greater work yield, but that strategy is required to ensure that our minds remain vibrant and thriving. Many of us have recently found ourselves telecommuting for the first time, courtesy of the Covid-19 pandemic. Others might be […]<\/p>\n