Working Efficiently from Home

As the days go on, more and more of us are keeping indoors and practising social distancing. So, it’s probably time we all learn how we can be more efficient when working from home. Though, how can you truly stay focused on your work while definitely not cosy in bed? Well, that’s what I’m here to help you out with.

Stick to your regular schedule

One of the most important things to maintaining your efficiency is to stick to the schedule! Typically work 9-5? Work 9-5!  Normally have a snack at 11? Have a snack at 11! Do you usually have lunch at 1? Have lunch at 1! Sticking to your usual schedule will keep you in the routine and therefore focused, and not to mention the health benefits that come with. As well, if you plan what work you’ll spend your time at home doing, you won’t get distracted with other tasks! You can even plan with things like lunch, make it the night before and no time is wasted during the day! As my dad says, always have a plan (and a backup plan), ((and a backup, backup plan)).

Worried about your home-life and work-life merging into one another?

It’s super easy to bring work stress home with you, especially if that’s where your workplace is. How can you stop the two from colliding and ruining the balance? Well, you can start by not working from your bedroom/where you sleep. By working from your place of rest, you may experience a decline in sleep quality, productivity, and your mood. Instead of working from bed, you should create a designated area for working, whether that’s an office or just a different spot at the dinner table. As well, if you want to really feel the pressure of day-to-day work, get dressed in your usual work attire. It might help you stay more concentrated throughout the day. It’s a bit of a long one, but at least you won’t forget to get dressed when you’re back to the daily grind!

Kick the distractions OUT

You may benefit from positioning yourself in a more work-oriented situation. Try sitting at a desk instead of lounging in bed all day, although that does sound like heaven. But hey, you’re way less likely to fall asleep at a desk than in bed! Although maybe you want a break from the regular desk life, so you could try sitting elsewhere, like the lounge or dining table.

You could also mix it up and try standing, this offers greater health benefits than sitting at a desk all day, which may also benefit your mental health as well as physical. You may never want to go back to sitting at a desk again! Like staying focused in general, distractions should be kept to a minimum. For instance, keep your personal phone out of sight or face down and try to keep the noise level to that of a regular office environment.

Maybe you’re not used to pure silence? Get some tunes on!

Although, if you’re used to getting your head down in a busier atmosphere, nothing is stopping you from banging the radio on or your playlist!  Whether you like your music or your silence, it’s all a matter of what surroundings you perform best in. We like to have the radio on in our office as it keeps things going, you could try the same!

If you get tired of music or just want some peace and quiet, you may find it beneficial to simply open a window. You get some fresh air into your stuffy office space, maybe there will be some birdies singing to you. With everyone stuck at home too, the air quality will probably be a lot cleaner and fresher. A breath of fresh air will get you out of that midday slump and will give you more motivation to

Don’t stay in the house all day!

This is a biggie! Don’t keep yourself cooped up inside all day; you’ll give yourself cabin fever! Self-isolation can put a real strain on mental health, so it’s an idea to take some time out of the house. Have a sit in the garden or get some exercise, maybe go out and get some lunch, provided shops are still open. As we go further into the cooler months, remember to wrap up when venturing out!

If you still need to travel…

An electric car is the perfect work environment, especially with no engine noise distracting from your calls. You could even do a conference call from your EV, with no engine noise distracting you! You could also be gaining another couple miles from recharging during the online meeting!

Hopefully, these tips for working from home will help you out being as efficient as you can be in this time of crisis. Maybe if we’re on lockdown, our air pollution problem will lessen. And maybe after this virus has cleared up, we can put just as much hype and worry into that…

Interested in going green? Have a little looksy…