Work From Home 2.0: Survival Guide
Photo by Elizabeth Millard from Everyday Health
Initially working from home (WFH) was a great novelty to many, presenting various advantages such as saved travel time. This time around, many people are finding that the novelty affect is fading given they have been WFH on and off for a long period of time. Many are now starting to face new challenges associated with WFH.
The below tips can help you overcome such challenges, and ensure your WFH experience remains positive and productive!
1. Maintain your regular routine
Humans are creatures of habit, so a regular schedule is important – set one and stick to it.
Use the time you previously spent travelling to work doing something that will make you feel energised and mindful for the day, i.e. go for a walk, read a book, call a friend.
People can fall into the habit of using previous travel time to complete extra hours of work, but this can lead to feeling burnt out.
Create a comfortable and clutter-free workspace.
Focus only on your work when you are in this space to create a physical and mental boundary between your professional and personal life- delineation between work and home is vital.
Have a clock-out time.
2. Be a home worker, not a lone worker
Communication really is the key to not feeling isolated or alone. If your manager or team have not already agreed on preferred communication tools, then determine what works for you.
Try not to have too many lines of communication open as this can prove distracting and overwhelming. Instead, select two or three communication tools and use them to keep in touch at regular intervals throughout the day.
3. Take a break
Like any working environment, it is important to take the occasional break to let your brain and body relax.
Take a 10-minute walk, do gentle exercises in your lounge room, make lunch or catch up with a friend over the phone.
Short breaks will help give you the ability to refocus on your work tasks – ultimately supporting both your productivity and mental health.
4. Maintain physical health.
Eat well, sleep well and exercise well – these are the three cornerstones of good physical health and they should not be ignored just because you are working at home.
Keep up with physical activity, whether it’s by going for a walk around the block or using online exercise tutorials to do easy home workouts.
Physical activity and regular mealtimes also serve as great ways to break up the day.
5. Ask for help.
If you begin to feel overwhelmed, ask for help.
Be aware of your feelings and rather than suppressing them, ask your manager for help.
Use your organisation’s Employee Assistance Program for support. If not available, reach out to a trusted mentor, friend or colleague.