For people that are self-employed it is already often the norm, but now during the pandemic it has become a reality for many more people: Working from home. Our daily life has been digitalized – but a lot of people still struggle with adjusting to the new situation.

For this reason we have put together a few methods and strategies to be more productive and adapt better to working from home.

1. Select a space to work from that fits your needs

Having a designated home office is a nice thing that works for some people, but it isn’t helpful for everyone and might even not actually be feasible for everyone.

You may find yourself on a desk one day and curled up on the sofa the next, depending on the project you’re currently working on and that is okay.

You could even switch it up depending on how your day is going – if you, for example, spend your afternoons sifting through e-mails and completing admin work that could be a more relaxed time spent on the sofa while spending mornings at your desk for meetings and client calls.

2. No matter where you work: Get rid of distractions and clutter

Wherever you work, be it your kitchen, home office or living room: Clutter will distract you. Because of that you should get rid of all sorts of “stuff”: The plate from lunch will make your eyes wander and just remind you of the housework that still needs to be done instead of keeping you in the much needed work flow.

Cables hanging around can be easily clipped away using cable ties, like these from RS Components, decoration should be kept as simple as possible and clutter should have their designated place to stay not at your workplace.

3. Go offline

Boundaries easily blur when working from home. Some people feel the need to show they are being extra productive at home, so no one thinks they’re slacking but one of the most important aspect in creating a good and productive routine is to create and enforce boundaries. Just because you constantly have access to the work that needs to be done doesn’t mean you should be working 24/7. Allowing yourself breaks and downtime will make you much more productive in the long run.

4. Stay connected

In the office you would be having water cooler chats and keep in the loop about any office developments – but in times of quarantine, maintaining professional connections and office friendships becomes very challenging. Despite current restrictions, try to take the time to have virtual hangouts with your team occasionally or even virtual lunch together!
Lack of interaction can negatively impact your mental health.