For many of us, remote working has become the norm. After the initial switch to fully remote during the pandemic – many jobs are offered as hybrid, maintaining an element of remote working. While is has been a positive move for flexibility, navigating remote/home working can be tricky. So, how do you successfully work remotely/from home?
Creating a workspace
Setting up a great workspace/office is key to successfully working remotely/from home. It’s so easy to set yourself up on the sofa, your bed, at the dining table – but it won’t do you any favours!
- If you have the space, buy a desk and office chair. Having a dedicated desk space is great – not only for your physical health but your mental health too. Ensuring good posture and somewhere for you to focus, a home office is important for successful home working.
- Find a peaceful place to set up – being able to be away from distractions will keep you focused on your tasks. This is also important for taking meetings! No one wants to be interrupted while on an important work meeting, so having a quiet office environment is key.
- See if your employer can help you out with your set up! If remote/home working is common within your firm/company, there may be budget for setting up your workspace. Of course, this isn’t guaranteed but it’s worth finding out.
Sticking to a routine
Remote/home working means no commute! This frees up your time significantly. However, this can mean that your free time feels like a little bit of a grey area. Having a schedule/routine to your working day will help you to create clear boundaries between professional and personal time.
- Take some time for yourself in the morning. Before you start working – have breakfast, take a walk, spend time with your family – whatever it is! Avoid checking your emails or logging on before you need to.
- Get ready for the day! Shower and get dressed. Tempting as it may be to sit in your comfiest clothes all day, getting ready for a working day (yes, even if it is just you working from your desk!) will help you to feel more productive. This doesn’t mean you have to wear anything overly professional!
- Have a proper break. Yes, that means move away from your computer at lunch time! Set boundaries for taking a lunch hour – eating some nice food and going out for a walk. You should schedule regular breaks throughout the day, to make a tea or coffee or just popping outside for 5 minutes to get some fresh air!
- Switch it up! Keep things interesting by changing your routine sometimes. This doesn’t mean throwing your schedule out of the window. You just might choose to go to the gym in the morning instead of having a leisurely breakfast. Do what feels good for you!
Stay connected
Working remotely/from home can come with challenges around feeling connected to your colleagues. There was a huge push for virtual socialising during the pandemic but this is harder to maintain now that more people have returned to the office. There are a few ways that you can stay connected…
- Schedule regular meetings or check-ins with your colleagues. Whether this is via video call, or phone call, you’ll feel more connected if you maintain regular contact with your team!
- Hot desk at a communal office – this might not be for every one as it isn’t quite the same as working from home. However, if your office is based in another city that isn’t commutable, it might be worth seeing if there is a hot desking office near you! You’ll build relationships with others and it might even be a good networking opportunity!
- Virtual training or socialisation – you can attend lunch and learn sessions virtually that will help you feel more connected to others! Or, see if there is a virtual society that meets during lunch breaks that you can join. This might be part of your firm/company, or it might be hosted externally.
- Lunch with colleagues – why not pencil in a weekly date to have lunch with some colleagues? You can do this virtually, and enjoying chatting casually via Teams while you eat lunch!
Staying connected is particularly important if you’re starting a new role fully remotely. You will need to build relationships with your colleagues virtually. It can be done but it will take some concerted effort on your part! Make sure that you go out of your way to chat with your colleagues and get to know them!
Switch off
One of the most important parts of working remotely/from home is the ability to switch off. It can be difficult to feel that you can step away from your work when it is so easily accessible. However, you need to be able to switch off to effectively manage your workload.
- Physically step away from your computer at the end of the day. This will create a physical boundary between work and personal time.
- Planning for the next day – when your working day is done, prepare for tomorrow by listing what you need to do. This will clear your mind of work related thoughts and help you to switch off for the evening.
- Make plans for your evening! Whether it’s heading out for some exercise, meeting friends or family for dinner, digging into a new book or finally starting a new TV show – enjoy some down time and take your mind off of work!
