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These days, it is more important than ever to know how to create a good work from home environment. Whether you’ve recently transitioned to remote work or were already working from home voluntarily before the pandemic hit, here are some ways to improve your work from home experience.
Devote a Specific Space To Work
One of the first steps to take when you know you will be working from home is to decide where your office will be. While it is possible to work from home without a designated office, it is certainly not ideal, especially if your family will be home while you are working. If you don’t have one already, you’ll want to choose a desk for your workspace, and you’ll want to make sure you have all the other materials you’ll need to comfortably work from home.
Schedule Your Time
When you’re working from home, it is easy to let your normal schedule fall by the wayside. But it is actually a very good idea to make and keep a regular schedule. If your job doesn’t have normal hours, create them for yourself and challenge yourself to stick to them as you would if you were going into the office. Having a schedule will help you stay focused and be more productive during work hours.
Take Breaks
One of the beauties of remote work is that you can easily take breaks when you need to. When you are working from home, your day is not broken up in the same way it is at the office, so you will want to prioritize taking a few minutes between tasks, especially if you are sitting for long periods of time. Stand up, stretch, take a walk, or get a snack. This will help get your blood circulating and regain the focus you might have lost. Take a few minutes, then come back to your work with fresh eyes.
Keep Work and Home Life Separated
Make sure to keep your work life separated from your home life. This becomes much more difficult when work and home are in the same building, or even the same room. If possible, try to work in a different room than you sleep or relax in, and limit your time spent working to the work hours you’ve set.
Find Ways To Socialize and Stay Connected
Remote work can often feel isolating. It’s important to stay connected to others, both in the workplace and outside of it. Try starting a group chat with some of your coworkers or getting to know them virtually or in-person outside of work. If any of your family members are home during the day, try having a short conversation with one of them during one of your breaks. Just because you work from home doesn’t mean that you need to be alone all the time.
Though working from home can feel impossible when you first start, it is very doable in the right environment and with the right habits. Trying a few of these ways to improve your work from home experience will help you optimize your days of remote work, whether they are permanent or temporary.