At this point it’s becoming clear that at least for some of us, working from home might be here for a while. Some people enjoy it, and others find it isolating and unproductive.
The reason some people don’t like it is because it’s easy to fall into bad working habits at home: not taking proper breaks, working longer hours than required in a day, and generally being “always on.”
At the same time, done correctly, there can be a lot to like about working from home: no traffic or commute, which means more time to sleep or be with your family. So, given that working from home may be something many of us have to get used to, we crowd-sourced some tips from coworkers that who enjoy working from home and find it productive.
Prioritize Working Happier
Bring something you enjoy about the office to your home. Are you missing lunches with your work bestie, make a Zoom lunch date. DO the same with your morning coffee. Taking a few minutes to say hello to a work friend can really lift your spirits.
Make a schedule and stick to it.
Determine your working hours and stick to them. The biggest mistake people make working from home is increasing working hours by getting distracted or working past quitting time.
Get a proper workstation – and not in your bedroom
Working from home works best when you have a proper, and separate, home office. A proper office means large monitors, a mouse, an ergonomic chair and a desk.
Get in the work mindset
Wake up, shower and get dressed. Then after work, change into your casual clothes. The preparation and clothes put you in the work mindset, and changing out of it at the end of the day pulls you back out of the mindset. This can also help you stick to your work schedule.
Try the Squirrel Break Productivity Method
This is an OE original productivity method. It is something like the pomodoro technique, where blocks of work are separated with short breaks, but you’ll have to read the post for all the details.
Get a hobby
Getting deep into an activity you enjoy doing can give your brain a break from thinking about work. The break from screens is an added benefit as well.
See if you can go to the office part of the time
If you really can’t make the adjustment to working from home, and it is safe to do so, maybe your employer would consider working with you to develop a hybrid work schedule, say 3 days a week of working from home and 2 at the office.
