Working from home for the first time can be an exciting experience. Rather than facing a long commute to the office, you can roll out of bed, put on your most comfortable casualwear, and venture over to the sofa with your laptop, ready for a day of work.
However, working at home can also present a few challenges, especially concerning motivation, productivity, and professionalism. If you’re gearing up to enjoy the WFH lifestyle, here are a few helpful strategies to ensure success.
Be Professional
Working from home undoubtedly allows you to enjoy a little more comfort and leisure, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of professionalism. One of the many benefits of a virtual office is ensuring your customers are none the wiser about your working status.
While you work from the comfort of your sofa, you can have calls and mail directed from an executive business address. Some of the best virtual office providers also offer boardroom hire, gym memberships, coworking spaces, and an allocated phone number.
Set Your Working Hours
As you’ll be avoiding a commute and structured lunch breaks with your co-workers, it’s easy to get into the habit of working all hours of the day and night. However, not having established working hours might mean your work-life balance becomes skewed. If this happens, you can find yourself checking emails while you should be enjoying family time.
Most full-time employees work 34.5 hours per week, so consider working an average of 6.9 hours per day around your other commitments to fulfill your contractual obligations.
Perfect Your Office Space
It can be tempting to prop your laptop up on the coffee table and relax on your favorite armchair to complete your work, but this isn’t a sustainable long-term option. Improper posture can take its toll, and you might begin experiencing a range of uncomfortable symptoms, such as muscle fatigue and pain.
Instead, set up a dedicated workstation to ensure comfort and support during the working day. A height-adjustable desk and ergonomic equipment, such as a mouse, keyboard, and chair, can all be crucial for your health, well-being, and productivity.
Get Everyone on Board
Working from home can be a significant adjustment for everyone in your household. Anyone who resides at home during the working day now has to ensure they don’t disturb you during important work projects.
If you’re concerned about remaining productive and focused, lay ground rules for home occupants. For example, you might close your office door when you don’t want to be disturbed and impose quiet hours when you’re on work calls.
Set Alarms for Breaks
Time flies when you’re a remote worker. You’re comfortable in your home environment, and several hours can pass before you realize it. There’s also no one prompting you to take morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea breaks, so you need to remind yourself to ensure you’re not overworking.
Set alarms for at least three daily breaks, and consider leaving the house for fresh air, exercise, and catch-ups with friends and family to avoid social isolation. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water and enjoy healthy snacks throughout the day, such as carrot and celery sticks, fresh fruit, and whole grains.
There’s no denying that working from home is a preference for many people, but it can take some time to adjust. Thankfully, if you take the actions above, you should be well-equipped to work remotely without any impact on your professionalism, motivation, or productivity.
