- Have a good routine. It really helps to stick to a good routine when you’re working from home and add some structure to your day. Try to wake up at the same time every morning. Resist the urge to stay in your PJs and always get dressed for work.
- Set normal working hours. This applies even if you have flexible working hours. You need to have a start time and know when to ‘clock off’ to prevent burn out. This helps to create a healthy work/life balance and allows you to focus on using your down time for you, your family and your hobbies.
- Make a to-do-list. Try to stay organised and on top of your workload by making a to-do list for each day. There are lots of online versions and apps, or you can keep it simple and scribble on a piece paper – whatever works for you. This helps you to be more focussed when you are working and prioritise what you want to get done each day. We use Teamwork to keep track of what the YourDMS team are working on – individually and as a group.
- Set up your workspace. You can set it up exactly how you want but make sure it’s comfortable, functional, and ideally separate from what’s going on in the rest of the house – especially if you have children at home. Think about what can be seen behind you if you are going to be participating in any virtual meetings. If possible, position your desk near a window to make the most of the natural light and fresh air. It’s also worth having a look at some advice on office ergonomics to prevent you from getting any unnecessary aches and pains.
- Invest in the right technology. There are lots of tech and devices available that can help you do your job more easily. The most important is excellent WiFi to keep you connected to the rest of the world. But other things such as noise cancelling headphones, wireless keyboards and mouses, a larger monitor, or a second monitor, may also be a great investment at this time.
- Adapt your working style. With everything now shifting from face-to-face to digital, you may need to adapt your working style and the kinds of technology that you’re used to working with. Take the time to get used to using new technology and platforms such as video meetings, team chat apps, (we use Microsoft Teams) and develop your digital skills. If you want to take it a step further, there are lots of free courses and resources online to improve your digital skills including learning how to use social media, coding, developing your first app, data analysis, machine learning and AI, and many more.
- Stay connected. It’s so important to stay connected to your team and keep talking so that you don’t become isolated while working from home. It might be a quick chat about how you’re doing or an in depth discussion about a new project -just keep communicating! It’s also really important to check in on others and make sure everyone is doing ok. You could create a virtual coffee break in the morning via a video chatroom or schedule a video chat with the team at the end of the day to see how everyone’s day has been. A quick chat with some friendly faces can really improve your mood.
- Take regular breaks. Make the most of your breaks to keep moving, go for a walk and get some fresh air, or do some gentle exercise. It’s good for your physical and mental health. If you need some inspiration, there are lots of free workouts online and you can get everyone in your house involved too!
We hope find these tips useful. We have the technology in place to make it easy for our team to work from home. But if you’re working from home and struggling with things like connecting to your colleagues, WiFi or IT issues, finding documents, or processing orders and/or invoices remotely, we can help!
Contact Beverly on 01285 810606 or email beverly.wright@yourdms.net. We are happy to advise or provide, so let’s talk.
