With strict lockdown protocol now in place across the UK, many Brits will find themselves working from home for the first time.
There’s a lot of information out there on how best to work when away from the office – here’s our top picks on strategies that have helped the team here at LOCALiQ. Of course, every person is different, so try out some of these techniques and let us know which tips were most helpful for you!
Create A Routine
We all know our normal Monday to Friday routines, usually involving a commute and a coffee, before settling down for the day with a great Spotify playlist and a full to-do list. So why stop?
If you’re a creature of habit, it can be helpful to replicate the routine you have in the office, whether this is making a coffee at 10:30am each morning, or listening to specific daily mixes on Spotify for the first two hours of your shift. Here in the York office, some of our team are taking walks on an evening at the same time they’d start their commute home, which allows them to take advantage of the one form of exercise a day proposed by Boris Johnson on Monday evening, while encouraging a normal end to their workday.
Separate Your Work & Home Life
With many families now forced to spend most of their days at home, it can be hard to separate your home and work life – especially if you live in a smaller home or have young children. Though it can be tempting to turn on the television and converse with your family during the day, it inevitably will make you less productive – which is never great.
Though being social is incredibly important to help combat loneliness and stress in this difficult time, by pausing your family conversations until your lunch break or tea time, you are creating something to look forward to, while ensuring the polar differences of your work and home life don’t mix.
If you’re worried about losing touch with the outside world, our next tip will likely help…
Keep In Touch With Your Colleagues
Keeping in touch with your colleagues is important, and not just for the business-related announcements. Most teams are firm friends alongside working together, so it’s important that these friendships are maintained, even if you’re no longer sitting in the same room. Here at LOCALiQ, we’ve organised catch up calls with the whole team at the beginning and the end of the day, where we share best practice, jokes and updates on our campaigns.
Most businesses have an internal group chat or a specific congregation time for chatter and coffee – don’t let this slip away. Just because you’re not physically in the office doesn’t mean your colleagues don’t care about you as much as they did this time last week. As everybody is in the same boat, it’s a great time for all teams to come together and celebrate what makes them a fab team – even if this is over a Skype call.
Take Advantage of The Space Around You
It’s unpractical to assume every office worker has a home office, or owns a space which they can designate solely for office or work use – which is why it’s so important to choose a working location that is safe, flexible and makes you feel ready for the day.
One York-based colleague offered this piece of advice:
“Work somewhere new every day for the first week – then decide the place where you were most productive and disturbed least. Whichever place you feel most comfortable is the work environment for you. Of course, if you’re unable to switch off from work when you’re sat in that place, move somewhere else.”
With the complete freedom of working wherever you’d like, it can be tempting to lay in bed all day with your laptop – but is this really the best place to be?
