Some great tips on how to work from home now we are beginning our third business week of ‘lockdown’. Everyone tries to settle into some form of routine and we’re beginning to realise what it is that we didn’t know before. Working from home is not always the dream come true that we first thought.
There is a lot to be said for leaving the home each day and going to a fixed place of work. Even for those in jobs that they don’t enjoy, or with colleuges they don’t particually like. We all can relate to this. However, there is a lot to be said for leaving the house each morning and making the journey to work.
I have worked from home for around 4 years now and while I feel I have mastered this, I too have days I find difficult. There are those days that I struggle to ‘switch on’ but more commonly those days I struggle to ‘switch off’. The journey too and from work is a great oppurtunity to switch in and out of different mental modes. Not having to think about those daily chores gives us 8 hours of escape, even if it’s doing something we don’t enjoy.
However I do have some tips that really help me focused and switched on while trying to have a productive day.
Working from Home: Tip One
Have regular breaks! This might not sound productive, having time away from the computer. But, I make sure that every hour I have a couple of minutes away from the screen. This normally is just a case of making a coffee or popping to the toilet. Any longer than this and then it can be difficult to switch back into work. That moment away from the screen gives your eyes a moment of rest and allows you time to clear your mind. It helps optimise your focus and keep you awake. Preventing a midday burnout and struggling all afternoon to getting anything productive done at all.
A great tool I have to remind me and set hourly ‘stand up targets’ is my Apple Watch. It detects my movement and ensures that I keep check on these regular ‘stands’. The great thing is it even scores me on my ‘stand’ patterns throughout the day and rewards me with badges (obviously only digital ones though). There are many great features of the watch that have really helped me with my health while working from home (which I’ll talk about more). I would strongly recommend anyone working from home to invest in an Apple Watch, for so many reasons. As delivery for them is difficult at the moment there is a link before for the model I am using (Apple Watch Series 5 – 44mm).
Working from Home: Tip Two
Drink plenty of water! Drinking plenty of water has so many health benefits and we’re all guilty of not drinking enough. It great for the brain, the digestive system and also makes going to the toilet every hour a lot easier. I use a high-quality 750ml bottle that makes it easy to calculate how much I drink each day.
Aiming for at least 3 litres of water a day is ideal. That sounds like a huge amount of water. Especially as the average human bladder only holds a pint of fluid at any one time. However, consuming a large amount of water keeps you switched on and hydrated. Also, each time I pick up my bottle it gives me a ‘micro-break’. Just a split second to look away from the screen and further helping me stay switched on.
Research is conflicting on the long-term effects of dehydration on the brain. What we do know is dehydration and a loss of sodium and electrolytes can cause acute changes in memory and attention. To prevent any loss of body or brain function, take steps to keep your body properly hydrated.
Drinking lots of water has helped me stay more focused throughout the day and certainly helps me think clearly. The bottle I personally use (linked below) is great because I can shut the drinking shout so if I knock it over it does spill everywhere. It also helps keep the water a little fresher and cooler. I also filter my water, but we’ll talk about that another day. Click the image below to view the drinks bottle I use. Well worth in tiny financial investment, but it is a huge investment in your health.
Working from Home: Tip Three
Create a routine and stick to it! This is one of the most crucial parts to successfully working from home. Making it significantly easier to ‘switch into and out of work mode’.
Having a strict working routine makes a significant difference and should be regardless of if you do all the other tips listed here. I get up at 6.00am every single day and hit the gym at 7.00am. I then make sure I am home for 8.00am, showered and sat ready for work for 8.30am every day.
This is something now I am so used to that I almost don’t need to set an alarm for. It has to be said that the temptation to spend longer in bed when working from home is high. I understand not everyone can or wants to get up that early. If that is the case then aim for a 7.00am get up and have a quality breakfast that will fuel you for the day (I’ll cover breakfast tips shortly). Then make sure you are sat ready to start work at exactly the same time every day. This routine is what will help you keep productive and a little sanity during all this.
Working from Home: Tip Four
Eat healthy, eat enough! The temptation to binge eat when working from home is so high. I am sure that now we’re 2 weeks into this lockdown that you know what I’m talking about. However, as we no longer have that walk to work or those walks around the office our level of physical activity is lower than normal. Meaning it is easier than ever to gain weight.
In order to stay fueled and focused, while minimising weight gain. I religiously use a product by Huel. It is a plant-based supplement that contains all of my daily vitamins, minerals, probiotics, pre-biotics and much more healthy goodness. I have a shake in a morning to fuel me up and sometimes another mid-morning. This ensures that I don’t get those cravings for junk food by keeping my hunger under control and only supplies my body with nothing but great fuel. This helps control weight loss and keeps my mind & body performing perfectly. The link below gives you £10 off your order of Huel. If you haven’t tried it then you’re missing out. I love the chocolate flavour!
Working from Home: Tip Four
Set goals! Setting goals might be just as simple as writing out all your tasks for the day. Ensuring you know exactly what needs to get done keeps you focused. It is shown that people are also more likely to get them done sooner.
Creating a list of things that are pririty and then arranging then in order of what needs to be completed first. This also helps boost your mood as you will feel like you are getting through tasks for the day much more quickly. I tend to start with the jobs that I really don’t want to do first, then do the important ones (they tend to be the same ones). This means that once they are all completed I can fly through the rest of my work much easier. Without the thought or worry hanging over me for the day, subconcioually thinking about them. Box them off and move on!
Another great tool I use for doing this is an incredible diary (journal) that gives me daily inspirational quotes and helps me plan/divide work from personal goals. The ‘Inspire Now Journal‘ was recommended to me by a successful businessman and has been an absolute life saver. It breaks everything down in to great sections and really helps me plan everything perfectly. The other great thing about this diary is that you don’t have to wait for the new year. The pages aren’t ‘dated’ in print. You right the dates on each page as you go. This means you don’t have to wait to purchase it. Just buy it and get organised.
For anyone who is in to motvational quotes this diary/journal is an absolute must. Click the image below to go take a look for yourself. I promise you, it will help keep you focused and give your working week more structure.
Working from Home: Tip Five
Finish on time! The key to switching off is actually switching off when you work from home.
Turn off the computer at the same time each day, or as close to it as possible. I spent many years working 14 hour days and then finding myself laying in bed just thinking about work. This did absolutely no good for my health (mentally or physically) and it certainly hasn’t helped any relationship I have ever had.
It can be very easy to feel the need to continue working right into the evening. But I can assure you that spirals into then having a poor quality tea/dinner and just going for the easy option because you’re exhausted. There is a reason I am on the Christmas Card List with my local takeaway restaurants.
What really helps to be able to do this is by following the first four tips. Ensuring you have a super productive start to your day and get all the important tasks out of the way. Having a late or slow start to your day often means that after having dinner/lunch you feel this huge regret and in a panic trying to fly through your work. This increases stress levels and often means the quality of your work reduces. Result in a stressful, unproductive and longer working day!
Want some more tips?
I will be updating this blog and social media often with many tips about how to work from home. Follow me on Facebook here.
Alternatively, if you would like any personal tips on how to stay motivated and work efficiently from home please feel free to get in touch. I will reply personally to every message about anything like this and I’m always happy to help. Head over the to the contact page here and I’ll get back to you shortly.
Many thanks for reading. I really hope it helped you learn a little more about how to work from home.
Regards, Chris Maloney
