My Top 5 Tips – How to effectively work from home

It certainly has been a while now, working from home. Unfortunately, or Fortunately I have plenty of experience and lessons to share with you.

It is ok to not be ok with working remotely. As humans we crave interaction and connection with others, take that away and even the introverts will struggle. Like I have explained in many of my other blogs on emotions and feelings, we need to accept and acknowledge what is showing up for us and then look at resetting, reframing where we find ourselves, to help us move forward.

Trust me when I say how hard it was for myself and my business to ‘pivot’ – are you sick of hearing that word yet? Moving from 85% of my work being in person, delivering face to face workshops, training, and executive coaching to 0%. Now 100% virtual. I sometimes think back to February 2020 when my world was vastly different, connecting with people in person. Now it is through online platforms and I have seen an increase in phone coaching, with some of my clients taking a break from video calls.

Here are my top 5 tips on how to effectively work from home:

1. Take the time to adjust. Firstly, go easy on yourself. Use trial and error, reflect what works and what doesn’t, then adjust. If you focus on what works well and pay positive attention to it, it will help your brain hard wire it as a habit. I still do this to continually improve the way I work.

2. Communication. Keep all lines of communication open. Whether it be with household members, your workplace, manager, customers, the list goes on! Be sure to respectfully share your needs and ask what they need. This will ensure you work together more effectively.

3. Preparation and Planning. Be organised, have your space ready to go, keep it neat and clean, remove clutter and any distractions. Set up some time for planning and reflection at the end of each day/week. This will help you make any of those adjustments mentioned above!

4. Boundaries. Set them. If you can, do your best to have a dedicated workspace ergonomically set up and some form of routine to be able to switch off. It is hard to switch off when walking from my home office into the living room. One simple, yet effective routine that I have to ‘close’ my workday is to close the blinds in my office. For me it represents closing for the day. Share your boundaries with your household and that will help them honour your boundaries/space and keep you accountable.

5. Take a break – it is very easy to get stuck at your desk (in the office or working from home). Schedule regular brain breaks and stretch breaks. Get some fresh air and leave your tech behind. Spend some time out in your backyard, have a mindful moment – tap into your senses (what can you hear? what can you smell? What can you see? what can you feel as you walk each step?) Take some long, deep breathes in and out. If time permits in your schedule or even better block out some time, for a short lunch time walk.

If these tips resonate with you, think about what action you can take in the next 24 hours to help you become more effective when working from home. With conscious effort, and positive attention, you can start to build these habits into your day. What are you going to do different?