Home office tips for working remotely during 2021

by Gabriella Martin

With the surge of covid cases and increased lockdowns impending, the climate of in-person work environments set to change, leaving millions to swiftly adjust and trade in-person offices for online work. Home office tips have never been as relevant then before.

Without home office tips, it is easy to become demotivated or feel displaced without a sense of routine or clear space for productivity separate from free time/ family/ pets or other modern home-based distractions. Home office tips such as focus on the following; productivity flourishes in environments where creative thoughts bloom, minimized distrations, and healthy atmospheres, invigorate us. Many modern workplaces are cleverly designed for employee productivity, but our home offices lack these innovations. Luckily, home office tips can allow us to revolutionize designs of sustainable, organized, and innovative workspaces.

Whether you’re starting your own business, you work from home full time, or you occasionally conduct business from your home office, you can benefit from optimizing your workspace for serious productivity using these tips.

 

The survey of 1,800 people in both small and larger businesses also found:

  • While overall levels of remote work are high, there is considerable variation across industries.
  • Remote work is much more common in industries with better educated and better paid workers.
  • Respondents in better educated and higher paid industries have also observed less productivity loss from the transition to remote work.
  • More than one-third of firms that had employees switch to remote work believe that it will remain more common at their company even after the COVID-19 crisis ends.

“These estimates suggest that at least 16 percent of American workers will switch from professional offices to working at home at least two days per week as a result of COVID- 19,” the researchers conclude. “This would represent a dramatic and persistent shift in workplace norms around remote work, and has implications for companies, employees, and policymakers alike.”

Almost twice as many employees are working from home as at work. For many workers, COVID-19’s impact has depended greatly on one question: Can I work from home or am I tethered to my workplace?

This backdrop has shaped the working environment for most – predicting a future of remote work. Several studies over the past few months show productivity while working remotely from home is better than working in an office setting. On average, those who work from home spend 10 minutes less a day being unproductive, work one more day a week, and are 47% more productive.

 

But how can we ensure efficient working from home?With the following home office tips you’ll be assured a schedule for success!

Home office tips/ surviving a self-made schedule

Maintain Regular Hours. Set a schedule and stick to it. Time management helps people feel better about their lives because it helps them schedule their day-to-day around their values and beliefs, giving them a feeling of self-accomplishment.

How to make a daily schedule for yourself in 4 steps
  1. Identify what matters most to you, and prioritize it.
  2. Address an important aspect of your routine during the first hour of the day.
  3. Acknowledge the length of your entire schedule.
  4. Forgive yourself when you skip the routine.

Create a Morning Routine

The morning routine helps us set the tone for the day, better allowing us to control our schedules rather than our schedule controlling us. As we start each day fresh, we can better focus on what is in front of us, where to prioritize our time, and, ultimately, increase our productivity.

Some home office tips that have helped us:

  • Be an Early Riser. If you aren’t a morning person then you need to suck it up.
  • Hydrate. This one may seem like a no brainer.
  • Avoid Your Phone.
  • Exercise Before Breakfast.
  • Have a Healthy Breakfast.
  • Read.
  • Practice Mindfulness.
  • Final Thoughts.

Set Ground Rules With the People in Your Space

Boundaries are important because they help to establish connection among employees, allowing them to focus on their roles and respect those who are in a higher and lower position. A boundary of respect will enable people to speak up, share ideas, suggest creative solutions to problems without fear of ridicule or embarrassment.

How to Set Healthy Boundaries at Work
  1. Identify Your Priorities.
  2. Learn to Say No.
  3. Take Time Off.
  4. Look for Examples of Professional Boundaries.
  5. Communicate Clearly.
  6. Establish Boundaries With Coworkers.
  7. Silence Notifications.
  8. Create Built-In Breaks.

Schedule & Take Breaks

Some argue people go from fully focused to fatigued every 90 minutes, so taking a break every 75–90 minutes works best for them. Studies have found that breaks can reduce or prevent stress, help to maintain performance throughout the day and reduce the need for a long recovery at the end of the day. Additionally, a relaxing break can help to reset your mood, thereby promoting positive wellbeing and reducing stress

  1. Find out your company’s breaks policy.
  2. Block your schedule at predetermined times.
  3. Communicate with your coworkers.
  4. Don’t take work with you.
  5. Take a break from your home life, too.
  6. Create a break project.
  7. Make a healthy snack.
  8. Meditate.

Home office tips: Leave your work space for breaks

Distance yourself from your space of work with light exercise/ visiting a friend etc. Exercise is shown to reduce stress, combat fatigue, improve performance and lead to fewer workday absences. A natural stress reducer, exercise combats chronic stress often suffered by workers. With exercise your sleep quality also improves, thus, you wake rested and ready to tackle another day.

Don’t Hesitate to Ask for What You Need

  • Demonstrate Your Innovation and Initiative.
  • Strive for Open Communication.
  • Prepare yourself to ask the right questions.
  • Study how your colleagues ask for help.
  • Be inspired or motivated by someone you admire.
  • Think of it as acting on behalf of the business.
  • Don’t wait until something goes wrong.
  • Give others the opportunity to contribute.

Keep a Dedicated Office Space

  1. Find a location where you can focus with minimal disruption.
  2. Organize it. Keep your workstation/desk clean and organized.
  3. Make it welcoming. Create an environment you WANT to work in. Colours, plants, scents, access to light/ natural air etc…

 

Did any of these home office tips help you? Reach out to us and let us know!

For similar feature articles, have a look at our Allegra Blog page to find out how our software tools can enable home office tips and more.

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