For the many people currently lucky enough to be working safely from home right now, setting up a workspace where you can feel as motivated and productive as you do in the office might seem a bit tricky. Ensuring your physical and mental wellbeing and clarity is kept up is so important as this goes hand in hand with actually getting great work done. It can be a little harder with the at-home distractions.
So here are our top 7 tips on creating an ideal at-home work zone to boost your output!
1) Create a Specified Work Space
Of course, not everyone just has a spare study or bedroom hanging around ready and rearing for your brand new office to be set up. If you do – AMAZING, use that to your advantage! But if you don’t that is ok too.
It doesn’t have to be big and it doesn’t have to be decked out in all the ergonomic gear that costs hundreds of dollars. Have a spot that for you, when you sit down (or stand) at, you know you are ready to work. Whether this be a small desk you’ve placed in your bedroom, a set spot at the end of the dining table or a table on your balcony, set it up each morning with everything you need and aim to remove whatever isn’t necessary that may distract you.
We don’t recommend setting up on the couch or in bed. Often if you work in areas that are generally ‘relaxation zones’ your mind will confuse the two and make these two experiences not what they are supposed to be. Leave those spots for Netflix and scrolling through your phone after work hours or on your lunch break!
2) Make Your Space As Appealing & Aesthetic as Possible
We know… your bed may seem appealing and aesthetic, but very quickly you might notice your back start to hurt and your brain wandering to watching that new show on Netflix. So as we said, don’t head there.
By appealing and aesthetic we mean making it a workspace you actually want to be at, and that will inspire you, not hinder you. Do this by creating a vision board with motivational quotes, pop up some photos of loved ones or your recent travels or bring the outside in and pop some indoor plants around your space. Diffusers, candles and your favourite music are also really great additions to enhance the area where you want your mind to be calm but ready to work!
And of course, as much as you can, try and get some mood-boosting natural light in your workspace. Natural light is so important for your health for a number of reasons. It improves happiness, productivity, and keeps your mind as calm as possible. Sitting in a dim, artificially lit area is just not anyone’s idea of aesthetic and appealing, right?
3) Keep Up Your Daily Routine
For many of us, working from home is so far from a ‘normal daily routine’, it is not funny. But keeping up as many of your normal working day routines as possible will help in making it as close to what you are used to as possible.
Start off by waking up at the same time each day. And try not to make it 5 minutes before you clock on! If you usually go to the gym before work, do an at-home workout and then have breakfast. Really, more sleep will be had and less time wasted without the normal daily commute, so why wouldn’t you?
Following this, actually make sure you shower and put clothes on. Sounds simple right? We just mean don’t put your pyjamas back on. Pop on some comfy clothes that aren’t your pyjamas to put you into the mindset that it is time to be productive.
Start your work-day with your to-do list and set your goals for what you want to achieve for the day. Ensure you are communicating with your colleagues too. Have meetings daily so everyone is in the know with what is happening and any burning questions can be asked. Keeping up social interaction is SO important!
And lastly, ensure breaks are had and you don’t eat through lunch every day. You deserve it! And, as much as you can… avoid the fridge every half an hour. You don’t need ANOTHER biscuit. Here is a blog of tips on how to do just that!
4) Don’t Stop Moving
Just because you are at home working doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get up and move around every 30 min to an hour! Our bodies need movement to not get stiff and uncomfortable.
The incidental movement you get at work such as walking to your colleagues desk for a weekend wrap up or to and from meetings is no longer happening. Staring at a screen for hours on end is not ideal. Go for a walk around the house or even the block or do some lunges and star jumps! Or why not use your chair and do some exercises? You can find some here!
Just think how many steps you rack up walking to and from the water cooler. Which brings us to our number 5 tip…
5) Don’t Forget Your H2o!
If you are anything like us here at SuperFast, our office water cooler is constantly having to be replaced. Ensuring you are drinking enough water is always very important. But right now having reminders to drink water whilst being at home is so crucial. You are not alone if you find yourself drinking much less! The reminders and habits of our daily routine have been mucked around, including remembering to drink water.
That 2.5 litres you normally drink by lunchtime now seems unachievable. So make sure you now change your habit of packing your water bottle each morning in your bag for work, to making sure wherever you go in the house, that you have a big glass or a water bottle right by you. You might find those afternoon headaches subsiding before you know it!
6) Switch off Distractions
Well, the ones you can actually turn off that is. Unfortunately, you can’t do that with children and pets. We are more talking televisions, social media and online shopping. Being at home, the temptation to check Instagram AGAIN or flick through the sales page just one more time on your favourite online shop is much easier.
The fear of your boss slipping there head over your shoulder isn’t there. But what happens when you get to the end of the day and you haven’t gotten through your to-do list. Now that isn’t a nice feeling!
Leave those fun things for your breaks or your post-dinner chill out time. Leading us to our next tip…
7) Make Sure Work & Home Stays Separate
This is something you’ve probably heard many times before. And now, you’re probably thinking, ‘well, they are now literally the same place’. If you ask anyone who normally works from home, generally keeping the two separate can be extremely hard. One minute it’s 4pm and you’ve got an hour to go and the next minute it’s 6.30pm and the kids are whining, “When’s dinner ready?!”… but it can be done!
Ensure work times are set and normal home times are set, and let your whole family know about it. Keep the housework for those home times, and replying to emails for the work times. Mixing them up can create unnecessary stress and can lead to an unhappy mind!
To focus on YOU and YOUR health during this time, why not join our SuperSquad right now for one amazing deal?! Click here to learn more NOW!
