I started working from home 2 months ago when I joined Focus Travel Partnership. Previously I had never worked from home, apart from the odd day and the thought of it scared me if I’m being honest, so here are a few things that have helped me 2 months in.
1) Wake up at the same time, I still wake up at 6:30. It allows you to look forward to those weekend lay ins.
2) Get dressed! It is so easy to stay in your PJ’s and work but getting dressed makes those last minute video conference call requests so much less stressful.
3) Have a dedicated space to work, I don’t have the pleasure of a separate room but even in my 1 bedroom flat I found a place for a desk which means you can still ‘leave work’ at the end of the day. I also found having a proper desk chair helped over using the dining room chairs.
4) Get out, this goes with getting dressed. I try and go for a walk either in the morning or on my lunch break, the fresh air makes you re-set ready for the day or afternoon ahead. If it’s raining I go to my trusty exercise app and do some yoga or home exercises.
5) Don’t get distracted, if the quiet is getting to you try the radio in the background, the TV is just too easy to watch.
6) Take your lunch breaks, just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you don’t get a lunch break, at Focus we sometimes have lunchtime calls to socialise and not talk about work. Get them in your dairy and stick to them.
7) If you really need a change of scenery, go to your local café, library or coffee shop and work from there. I usually head to my parent’s house and help myself to the fridge contents!
8) Stick to your hours, it’s easy to log on early and log off late, but try and stick to your working hours.
9) Enjoy it! You hopefully would have saved some time not commuting, so cook a dinner from scratch, get your washing done, read a book, go to the gym. Enjoy the extra time you’ve gained.
Written by Dani Ives, Events Manager, Focus Travel Partnership