Work From Home Challenges Let's face it, your home workspace is in close proximity to the environment you relax in, so the line between work and play can sometimes become blurred. In recent times working from home has become the norm and it may stay that way, however not all of us are completely used to or sold on the idea yet. Here are some useful tips to help you get accustomed to, or just generally help you with some common working from home challenges.
Some Top Challenges Many Of Us Have Come Across Are:
Needing to create our own work environment and provide your own tools and software
Being surrounded by home life distractions like children, partners, pets... Youtube, Netflix, Playstation, Xbox.
Not going outside or exercising as much as we used to, because even though we've been working from home all day, we feel drained and just don't feel like leaving the house.
After a while working from home can take its toll and we may be guilty of the following;
Working late
Staring late
Not shaving or washing
Working in pyjamas (my personal favourite)
Key Tips For Comfort, Productivity and Time Management:
Just Do It, Rip it off like a plaster (bandaid), Eat That Frog.
Sometimes it can be hard to just start, however, if you start with the least favourable, biggest and, or most unpleasant task first, the other tasks almost feel like a reward... almost. ( "Eat That Frog" by Brian Tracy gives insight into how to manage time more effectively and how to get the important sh!t done first, available on Amazon).
The one minute rule; Finish tasks that will take one minute or less immediately .
The Pomodoro technique/creating rewards; You can’t work for 8 hours straight, so schedule breaks during the day and keep track of them.
Start tomorrow’s job; Start tomorrow’s task before you clock off and now you don’t need to start that from fresh first thing tomorrow. Unfinished tasks will start to irritate you, so it will be easier to pick these up right away.
Use to-do lists; Add anything you can’t finish to your list and then have a scheduled time (20 minutes toward the end of the day, perhaps) to go through those items
Create the ideal environment.
This can be difficult if you live somewhere with limited space, however, if you can dedicate a room or corner to doing only work-related tasks, leaving that dedicated space for the day becomes a symbol of leaving work.
Tips when creating the ideal work environment:
Keep it tidy, use systems to keep it organized.
Go paperless where possible
If you need to use paper use a paper tray/file system with work you are working on, work you need this week, work that you won’t need for a while but can’t dispose of.
Comfortable; The right temperature, lighting, and décor will have a physiological effect on your body, altering your mood and ability to focus! The right chair and desk are important to prevent strain and other issues.
Inspiring; Use images of people who inspire you. Use examples of great work in your field and, or people you aspire to be including friends and family.
Be strict with your own time.
It's easy to work over your contracted hours in work from home situations. Block out your diary at the time you want to finish for the day so that your colleagues know that you will be unreachable. This will also prompt an alert so that you know that you need to wrap things up. Spend ten minutes at the end of each day making a note of the tasks that can be started tomorrow.
Software And Tools To Help You Work Smart and Optimise Your Home Office
Todoist: A fantastic to-do app that will help you to set tasks and then stick to them. Powerful natural language interpretation makes this easier to use Notion is an incredible note-taking software that many people describe as a “second brain”
Zoom: Video conferencing, used by most professionals and organisations
Microsoft Teams: Video conferencing and calling, used by most companies and organisations.
Monday.com: Project management system; organise your team projects and tasks.
Asana: Project management for teams and is extremely useful
Docusign: Sign documents when you can’t be physically present
GoogleDrive: Cost-effective cloud storage and also collaboration tools
Sharepoint: Microsoft alternative to Google Drive. Very useful for collaboration when using Microsoft Office tools.
Freeom: An app that lets you block other apps and websites that take up your time and distract you from being productive.
RescueTime: Lets you see how you’re spending your time throughout the day.
Health & Wellbeing
Make sure you spend at least some time outdoors. Vitamin D is crucial for hormone balance, mood, and sleep.
Get some form of exercise especially light cardio and aerobics. These types of exercises can boost cognitive function.
SmartWatch Technology. Check notifications without getting out your phone. Monitor your stats (such as steps) to ensure optimal health.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Being dehydrated lowers concentration and can lead to fatigue.
Get social. Talk to friends and family about topics other than work. Topics that don't lead to stress of course.
Make sure you prioritize your sleep. Try not to look at electronic screens more than 30 minutes before you decide to go to bed, read a fiction book or listen to calming music instead to regulate your sleep pattern. Also, set a bedtime for yourself so that you construct a bedtime routine.
Create a strict separation between work and relaxation. Checking emails or work-related messages between conference calls or reviewing/ writing documentation is not a break. Try and set at least two 10 minute breaks during the day; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Take at least 30 minutes for lunch... and eat something.
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