Most of us have been working from home much more frequently since last year than in previous years. But how do you manage to stay just as focussed and motivated when working from home as you do in the office? I'll give you 5 tips that made it easier for me to start working from home and that I still follow on home office days!
1. suitable work clothes:
It doesn't have to be a suit, however, morale and motivation are higher when you're not sitting on the sofa in sweatpants. So dress up in work clothes! Of course, there is a certain appeal to getting up and sitting in front of your laptop at home in your pyjamas. Everyone has definitely done that at some point. But you're actually more productive when you dress for work. We don't mean that you have to pick out a nice suit for the board meeting. A pair of jeans and a shirt will do just fine.
A home office tip from me is: "Get up in the morning and get ready as normal." Dress as if you were going to work. Only then will you feel good and serious and be in the right mindset.
So dress for the job", because it helps enormously to separate work and leisure time in your mind. Someone who sits at work in jogging bottoms is in a different frame of mind than someone who wears jeans and a shirt, for example. This doesn't mean that business casual has to be the order of the day in the home office. However, it should not be completely casual - perhaps there is a spontaneous web meeting including a webcam that day.
2. work at a table/desk with a comfortable chair:
Who doesn't know it, the magical attraction of the sofa. You could just sink into the sofa and relax with your laptop on your lap. That thought often crosses my mind too. But then I remember the back pain I would have if I spent the whole day on the soft seating area. Because in most cases, you tend not to sit upright on the sofa. The kitchen table isn't the right place to work either. It goes without saying that sitting on chairs that are far too hard or at the dining table will sooner or later lead to severe tension or even a slipped disc. A good desk has the right height, size and work surface. If the workstation is visually recognisable as such and is also comfortable, the motivation to work at it increases enormously.
It is therefore worth investing in a desk that allows you to change your sitting position. If the desk is even height-adjustable, you also have the option of working standing up as required. This prevents back pain, gets your circulation going and has many other positive effects on your health. A comfortable chair is just as important as a good desk. A poor or even makeshift chair should be quickly replaced with a back-friendly one.
It is clear that not everyone has a study or a separate desk at home. If you belong to the category that only needs a laptop, a smartphone and perhaps a notepad for your work, that's perfectly fine. The important thing is that you find a room or corner in your home where you feel comfortable and can work productively. Because the feel-good factor in the home office is important to ensure productivity.
3. a clean workplace increases motivation:
To increase motivation in the home office, the home office workspace should be kept just as clean and tidy as it is in the office. Setting clear standards will help you do this. Avoid a paper trail and piles of paper, as these lead to chaos and waste time unnecessarily. Use notepads instead of slips of paper, declutter consistently and ban piles of paper! Dishes should also be removed at the end of the working day at the latest so that the next morning doesn't have to start with housework or a plague of ants.
4. stick to your usual working hours and don't stay in bed late because you are working from home:
Set your alarm clock to the same time every day so that you can stick to your fixed working hours. It is best to get up at the same time as you do for work on site. In this way, you can maintain your work routine. You can either use the time you save travelling to work for various preparations (e.g. preparing food for the working day, getting coffee and water ready) or simply start work a little earlier. You may even be able to finish work earlier in the afternoon.
In any case, it is important that you bring regularity to the start and end of the working day. After all, working from home doesn't mean being glued to your laptop around the clock. Breaks are just as important as regular working hours.
5. avoid distractions such as TV or loud radio:
Avoid distractions and set up a fixed workstation. This ensures a clear separation between work and private life and helps you to switch off at the end of the working day. Learn to switch off - and don't succumb to the temptation to go back to your work computer after work.
Of course you can listen to music during working hours. However, it should be playing quietly in the background and not be too dominant to tempt you to sing along. The television should not be on either. Once the telly is on, it is almost impossible not to watch it.
Preparation is the key to not having to leave your desk all the time. So prepare everything for the day. That way, you won't be tempted to run to the kitchen every half hour and get distracted by other things, such as preparing snacks, cleaning work surfaces, cleaning the cooker or taking out the rubbish.
A tip from me: As you generally drink far too little, it can help to sweeten your water with frozen berries, fresh herbs (mint, basil) and citrus fruits (orange slices, lemon slices). Not only does it taste extremely good, you automatically drink more. And if you have prepared enough to drink for the day, you save yourself an unnecessary trip to the kitchen.