April is stress awareness month and I think I can safely say the timing could not be better! Many of us are concerned about our health and finances at the moment, whilst struggling with the lack of social contact and juggling the pressures of homeschooling and maintaining our homes.
During the current pandemic more of us than ever are finding ourselves working from home. There are those of us who are used to working from home whilst others may be more used to working in an office environment. The change of location and the need to work remotely can cause additional stress.
However it absolutely can be done, and be done well! Design Bundles are a company who were created and scaled without any central office. They now have a team of 30 full time members of staff and their business is thriving without the need for an office. Utilising the team working application Slack, they are able to work flexibly with employees based in over ten different countries, and they have over 4000 designers selling their products on the craft and design marketplace, Design Bundles and the font marketplace, Font Bundles.
It’s great to hear remote working success stories to encourage us that it is possible to work from home successfully. While there may be challenges to be met, there are lots of ways to ensure you’re happy, focused and productive while working from home.
Tips To Stay Focused and Productive While Working Remotely
Having a dedicated work space. That may be in a home office, study or simply a desk or table anywhere in the house. Having a place that can be used purely for work purposes can help focus the mind. Somewhere away from distractions would be ideal to eliminate the temptation to procrastinate.
Create a schedule. Having even a rough idea of how your working day is going to plan out can be massively helpful when it comes to productivity and efficiency. Being able to manage your time effectively will enable you to complete tasks on schedule and help you to adhere to deadlines.
Maintain human contact. Emails and messages are efficient but sometimes the lack of real social contact can become quite isolating. Video calls are a great way to discuss ideas and plans whilst allowing a more sociable way of working. Just seeing colleagues rather than hearing them can be a real boost for your mental health.
Allow breaks. It can be difficult to maintain a proper routine when working from home but it’s so important to have breaks. A lunch break is obviously the main one and absolutely should not be skipped. It would also be beneficial to try and sneak some exercise into your daily working routine as working from home can quite easily become quite an inactive activity. These breaks are not only a physical necessity but a mental one too. Having that break can allow you to refresh your mind and have a well deserved break.
Limit social media. While some jobs including my own require a certain amount of time on social media, it could be wise to limit time spent browsing places like Instagram and Twitter. We’ve probably all been guilty of spending too long procrastinating online so setting time limits can help you remain productive.
Ignore housework. It may be tempting to do a bit of hoovering or dusting while working from home but try to ignore it. The house can wait, and you don’t want to disrupt your work and lose your flow.
Ensure you have all the tools you need. Perhaps the most obvious tip, make sure you have everything you need to successfully work from home. Laptops, applications, planners and phones can all help working remotely run a lot more smoothly.
Try some self-massage. In a way, working from home can be more stressful than being in the office. The stress can cause tension in your body, leading to body pain. Try doing some self-massage with a gentle, pain-relieving gel to alleviate the soreness. If you have a partner at home who’s in a similar situation, you can help each other relax with a massage.