Nearly half of the UK workforce are now working from home, and for many, it’s a new experience. Far from being an opportunity to relax in front of the television and send a few emails, it actually brings its own challenges.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic and social distancing rules means that it’s likely to be this way for a while, and working from home will become something of a new normal.
If you’re new to working from home, here are some top tips to help you and your business thrive.
Get dressed when working from home
It can be very tempting to pull your laptop into bed and spend the day in pyjamas, but this won’t do wonders for either your wellbeing or productivity. It’s all to do with psychology. You don’t have to put on a suit or stilettos, but getting dressed into designated work clothes can help get you in the right frame of mind for working from home.
Have regular catch ups
When working from home it can be easy to isolate. Make sure you have regular team meetings scheduled. Send agenda items to cover to make sure everything is included, and bring your updates to share. Use this opportunity to connect with your colleagues and share where you are with your work. People are social creatures. A great deal of what we communicate to each other will not be what we say but also how we say it — the tone of voice, the expression on the face. Try using video to have calls to make it easier to communicate and understand.
Keep social even at home
Working from home doesn’t mean you can’t keep sociable. We’re used to having conversation in the office, sharing lunch, and having the occasional drink. Why not have an end of the week drink and chat with the team? It means you can connect with your colleagues, and keep some sense of rhythm and normality to your routine.
Have a separate space for work
If you can, set up a home office space, or mark a part of your living room or kitchen table to be just yours for working from home. This can help increase focus. Having a designating work space also means you can walk away from at the end of the day. Not everyone is lucky enough to do this, we know, but it’s a smart move if you can.
Switch off from work
With always on technology, it can be easy to be always working. But you don’t need to. It’s important to set boundaries. If you usually finish at 5.30, do the same when you’re at home. Work may generally be becoming more flexible and fluid, but it’s important to keep space in your life for relationships, hobbies, health and wellbeing.
Get in touch with us to find out more about working from home and how you can build a business from home. For more business and finance , news, advice and tips, don’t forget to watch our video, listen to our weekly podcast I Hate Numbers.