If you’re working from home due to the current global pandemic, welcome to the club! Though more companies than ever have experimented with flexible work arrangements in recent years, for many people, regularly working from home will be a totally new experience. While you may have thought of working from home as sweatpants all day and unlimited snacking before, to stay on your A-game away from the office it’s smart to consider how to keep yourself motivated and productive even with the comforts (and distractions) of home at your fingertips.
While you will eventually find things that do and don’t work for you as you get more into the swing of things, the initial transition can be tough. To help you stay engaged even while you’re away from the office, we compiled our favorite work from home tips:
Create a Hygiene Routine
While no one is asking you to put on a full suit and tie to not leave the house, sticking to a regular hygiene and dressing routine can be a helpful addition to your work from home toolbox. Taking time to get ready (getting dressed, brushing your teeth, or whatever that means for you!) instead of rolling out of bed and starting work will get you in the right headspace for the day.
Stay Connected to Coworkers
In addition to staying connected for projects and work-related things, take some time to chat with your coworkers without an agenda, too. It’s normal to miss the casual banter between coworkers in the office kitchen or the Slack discourse around the office happenings, so make time to chat even with the absence of these conversation prompts. In a time when people’s work and personal lives are being disrupted, staying connected is more important now than ever.
Carve Out a Dedicated Space
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a home office or ample amounts of extra space in their home, but do what you can to carve a sliver of space out for yourself during the workday. Even designating a barstool at your kitchen island for 8 hours of the day can help you stay productive (and keep you from accidentally falling asleep on the couch).
Give Yourself Brain Breaks
No one works 100% of the time that they’re in the office, so don’t feel guilty about giving your brain breaks during the day when you’re working from home. Log out and make time for a walk, light stretching, or just to eat lunch uninterrupted to let yourself decompress.
Avoid Senseless Snacking
If your office was the type with a snack bar you may be used to this advice already, but if it wasn’t, keep reading. You have access to everything in your kitchen when working from home, so avoid senselessly snacking all day. Schedule time to fix a healthy lunch and have a snack break or two, but don’t use this as an excuse to chow down or eat things you normally wouldn’t!
