Remote working might sound easy, but the reality can be very different. To help you, we have devised five steps to success — plus, you can download our FREE working from home planner.
According to data published by the Office for National Statistics in February 2022, more than three-quarters (78%) of people who work from home feel that this gives them a better work-life balance. More than half of those surveyed also stated that being home based made it quicker to complete work (52%), because they felt they encountered fewer distractions (53%). As well as productivity benefits, nearly half of respondants also said they had noticed improved wellbeing (47%).
Young home workers, aged between 16 to 29 years, were less likely to experience fewer distractions, compared with those over 30. Nearly a third of these younger workers reported fewer distractions (32%) when working from home, compared with 30 to 49-year-olds (56%) and those between 50 to 69 years (60%).
1. Home office
Using your laptop around the house, even taking it to bed in the evening, is a really inefficient method of working from home. Set up a desk in a spare room, or a quiet corner, away from the television and other distractions. Make sure you have everything you need around you by creating a micro office, complete with a wall planner and whiteboard. With a dedicated workspace, you can be strict about the hours you work, rather than being constantly monitoring your inbox.
2. Pomodoro technique
Become super disciplined with a strong routine. Working from home can often mean you end up doing longer hours, with weekdays and weekends merging into one long laptop marathon. The Pomodoro technique, named after a tomato-shaped kitchen timer, is a popular time management method. Essentially, each day is divided into 25-minute sessions, separated by short breaks. The idea is to create short, intense bursts of productivity rather than long, draining shifts. Our working from home planner incorporates the Pomodoro technique. Why not give it a go?
3. Enjoy exercise
We all know that sitting in front of a screen for hours on end is not healthy, so you need to plan exercise into your daily routine. Trying to squeeze in a press-up or two between your afternoon calls is pointless, your exercise regime needs to be done before you sit down at your desk. Whether it’s yoga or a walk to the shops, exercising first thing in the morning will give your body the energy to power through the day.
4. Be realistic
Setting over-ambitious goals can quickly dampen your enthusiasm when you fail to meet them. Don’t be too hard on yourself, just be realistic about how much work you can achieve in a day. Working from home is liberating and gives you the freedom to pick the children up from school, or to do some gardening. Set aside time to do jobs around the house and you won’t feel guilty about not doing them. This is where our FREE working from home planner can help.
5. Business plan
From Hadrian’s Wall to a Victoria sponge, nothing gets completed without a plan. Create a weekly list of daily tasks to make sure you achieve your goals and move your business forward. Try taking things a step further by having a business plan for the whole year, broken down into four 90-day plans which can then be broken down into weekly targets.
FREE working from home planner
To help you, please download our FREE working from work planner which incorporates the Pomodoro technique…
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