Our Top Working From Home Tips
Working from home offers flexibility, but staying productive requires some clear boundaries. These working from home tips will help you stay organized and efficient throughout your day.
1. Keep a Regular Routine
Identify the hours when you’re most productive, and structure your workday around them.
Note: your peak productivity time is best spent on items that fall within your “important” but not “urgent” category. Save emails for another time in the day.
Maintain your pre-work routine. For many of us, that involves breakfast, catching up on the news, and a shower. When you keep this routine, you signal to your brain when it’s time to relax and when it’s time to work.
2. Make Yourself Look Presentable
Many meetings these days involve video conferencing, and you never know when a client or coworker will ask for a last-minute call. You’ll feel more confident being prepared and looking your best.
3. Organize Your Workspace
Choose a location in your home, whether a home office or kitchen table, where you can open your laptop and get to work each day. Don’t shy away from making it a pleasant environment by adding pictures, plants, and music.
As comfy as it sounds, avoid working from your bed. Your couch, depending on how much it makes you want to lie down and nap, might not be a great location either. Most of your home, especially where you sleep, should be kept as a rest-and-relax space.
Do not take video calls with a bright window behind you, unless you’re going for the witness-protection-program look. Set yourself up with cheerful lighting that allows meeting participants to see your face.
Finally, you’ll need a reliable internet connection wherever you work, although you can always fall back on your phone’s hotspot when experiencing WiFi issues.
4. Amp Up Your Virtual Communication
Slack is effective for quick conversations, check-ins, and file sharing. Sending your teammates a Slack or email when you’re stepping out for a break puts them at ease if they can’t reach you.
Tools like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams all offer secure, encrypted meetings, with some platforms providing optional end-to-end encryption for added privacy.
Leverage the sharing function of whatever calendar tool you use — whether Google or Outlook — to keep your team abreast of what you’re working on.
Use Loom for training and instructional videos. Loom allows you to record your screen and voice and then easily share your recording through a Loom link.
Conduct virtual happy hours to stay connected with your team.
5. Set Boundaries and Limit Distractions
Once you’ve decided on your working hours, communicate them with your team, family, and friends.
If you have a home office, close your door when needed, and turn off the TV, even if it’s just news. It will inevitably grab your attention.
6. Self-Manage
Without an office environment to keep you in the zone, find time and task management tactics that work for you. For instance, set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Based) goals.
Consider tools like StayFocused to limit the amount of time your browser allows you to spend on social media or news sites.
Take breaks when you need them. Go on walks, call a friend, or practice some living room yoga.
For your lunch break, close your laptop and leave your phone in your workspace. Give yourself permission to fully detach from media and electronics.
7. Take Care of Yourself
Although working extra long hours may be a temptation, practice healthy behaviors that keep you happy. Exercise, connect with people outside of work, and use relaxation techniques.
Whether you’re working on the living room carpet or the dining room table, certain habits will allow you to remain productive. Stick to a regular routine, put effort into your appearance, and make your workspace your own. Most importantly, take good care of yourself. Follow best practices when working from home, and thrive!
