Make working from home great with these essential tips from our WFH team

Many people are being forced to work from home, and likely, you are working from home at least part of the time. Whether it is a choice or something you have been forced to do, it can actually be very beneficial if you do things correctly. We’ve had lots of practice working from home - we’ve been WFH for the last few years… and all of our team members work from home, so we polled everyone and put together our list of essential tips to make working from home a blessing and not a curse.

Start your day like you always do

Flexibility is one of the best parts of working remotely or from home. But, giving structure to your day is very important to your productivity. Keep the same schedule for going to bed and getting up in the morning. And, while working in your pjs has often been cited as one of the major pros of working from home, most experts advise that you get up, get dressed, comb your hair, throw on some mascara, and then get to work.

Get focused

When you sit down for the morning, plan out what you need to get accomplished along with what you would like to see completed during the day. Map out your breaks, schedule your meetings, and stick as closely as you can to your schedule. 

Your phone and the internet CAN be the enemy

Try to minimize distractions. For me, the urge is always to check my email, look at my phone, browse my social media. Being disciplined about only doing those things at special pre-planned times is important, or you might find yourself down a shopping rabbit hole before you know it. But, give yourself rewards! Plan out two hours of work that you want to get done, and if it gets accomplished, then give yourself the reward of browsing on your phone or watching the news for 15 minutes. Have a special designated phone or ringtones for work-related calls or notifications from your work email, that way the non-essential social calls and texts can be left for later.

Cleanliness is heavenly

Keep your office space cleaned even if you are the only one who sees it. Keeping your space tidy will help you to be more productive (less time spent looking for stuff), and help you enjoy your time at work (since you have to be there anyway).

Feng Shui it

Make your office aesthetically pleasing. It will help you to be more creative and productive.  You won’t have to force yourself to go to your office each morning, instead it will be a welcome retreat. Add your favorite paint color. Grab a lamp rather for some softer lighting. Pick textiles that make you feel happy and energetic. And by all means, make sure you have a good office chair.

Equipment

Make sure that your internet is high speed. It will be something you don’t want to scrimp on. Include a phone line if you are inundated with calls. Get an extra phone cord and laptop cord for your home office so that you can plug in easily. Anne also has a stand up desk, it has been a big winner on long days, it’s so helpful to be able to get up and work standing for a while. And, like at the office, you can’t beat having a second monitor.

Who doesn’t need an excuse to order office supplies!

Who doesn’t love Office Depot. Order the supplies you will need to make your office functional and ultra-productive: folders, pens, notepads, binder clips, and whatever else is part of your office must-haves! 

Communicate

Because you are working from home, it is even more important now to be a great communicator. Check in with the boss, employees, colleagues, on a regular basis to stay current on all projects and to stay connected. Consider Google+ Hangouts, Zoom, HipChat, or even Facetime to brainstorm and check in with one another.

Create boundaries

You are likely not the only one working from home in this current and unique social distancing situation, so it will be important for you to set your hours and make sure that everyone in your home knows them. Providing a stop sign or a closed door as an indicator that people need to wait to interrupt you can be imperative to making the home work environment functional. Involve your family in the plan. They may have some clever ideas for visual cues, like a teddy bear by the door when they can come in, and an angry bird picture when you are not to be disturbed while taking a meeting with your boss. And, of course, take scheduled breaks so you can spend a little extra time with the people you love! Have lunch with your spouse and kids! Go play a game of tag outside! This forced togetherness has to be a time where we use it to better ourselves and our relationships, to reconnect with the people we love.

Finally, don’t forget self care!

Remember to take time for you. Create a time to work out or to go for a walk by yourself.  Meditate for a few minutes every hour. Read a book! Most importantly, you must clock out! It is so difficult for Americans to stop working. For your health, your sanity, your relationships, and even your work (to avoid burnout), set a time to end your day, and END YOUR DAY. Honestly, some of us around here are WAY better at this than others. 

We hope these tips help make working from home not only convenient but pleasant. And most of all, we wish you and your family good health.