After Boris Johnson announced lockdown measures on the 23rd March 2020, the public were told to work from home where possible to contain the Coronavirus outbreak.
It is now just over 2 months later, restrictions are slowly being lifted and we have started to see many people go back to work with safety measures in place. However, there are still a large proportion of people working from home, either full-time or part time. We wanted to share some of our advice with you on how to stay productive and how to make the most of working from home.
Start the day off right…
Working from home has its perks right…? Crawl out of bed and straight to the sofa, but this can also be your biggest challenge. Don’t forget… you are at work and by treating your home workspace like you would the office, will boost your productivity. Start your day the right way! Get up, get dressed, set up your workspace. Structure your day like you would in the office, create a to-do list, schedule your appointments and make achievable goals within a realistic timeframe.
Work in short bursts and don’t forget to take breaks…
When working within an office environment, day to day tasks are broken up by lunch breaks, tea and coffee breaks, personal chit chat etc…, however, when working from home, it’s just you. With not much social interaction, it can be easy to fall into the habit of working for long periods of time with no breaks. Having short breaks every 45-60 minutes can help increase productivity. Whether it be a zoom meeting with work colleagues, to make a cup of tea, a bit of fresh air or to put some washing on, it is an effective way to break up the day and maintain your concentration levels (even better when you can get household chores done in-between). Ensure that you take a lunch break away from your desk/laptop/phone and other work distractions. Eat well, stay hydrated, go for a walk, or read a book, do something that will enable you to go back to your desk with a fresh mind.
Stay Sociable….
Working from home should not mean you shut yourself off from the outside world completely. Here at Cooper Golding we ensure we have multiple zoom meetings a day, whether it be on a serious work level or just to catch up with a cuppa. Staying social and in contact with each other is a great way to break up the day and great for your mental health.
Feel free to leave comments on how you are coping working from home during these difficult times.
Stay safe
The Cooper Golding Team!
