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Still working from home? Nine tips to optimise your remote working experience

Zen Jan 24 2022

We may not have believed this time last year that many of us would still be working from home – if not all the time, then at least a good amount of it.

But after such a long period of working remotely, it has now seemingly become the norm.

And while we may be much more used to it than we were back in 2020, that doesn’t mean there isn’t more we can do to make our home office experience all the better.

Here are ten tips to get you started.

1) Remember routine

Back in the early months of 2020, when working from home was such a novelty, for many of us working hours went out of the window.

We’ve heard all the stories of working way past home time and weekends, of thinking about work-related matters at all hours of the day. And while that’s ok for a while, it can become exhausting – physically and mentally.

If it sometimes feels like you’re living at work rather than working at home, it’s time to remember the importance of routine.

Logging on – and off – at the same time every day can help to reintroduce that important pattern of working hours. That’s important, because when you’re outside of those set hours, you’re giving yourself permission to switch off.

Just like if you were in the office, you might get up at the same time every day, do your exercise, take a shower, have your breakfast in a certain way, put on your working clothes (not your pyjamas) – whatever it takes to remind your body (and mind) that you’re in ‘work mode’.

2) Office mode

This can be a tough one if you have young children at home but try to establish some ground rules at home.

That could mean ensuring that you’re not disturbed during working hours, or at least setting some ‘quiet’ hours at set times of the day. It might mean ignoring that phone call or message from a friend or replying with an ‘I’m working at the moment’.

It’s important to remember that, just because you’re at home you’re not always available for everybody.

3) Take a break

It might just be a quick cup of tea or a brief stroll in the fresh air, but it’s important to regularly get up from your desk to stretch your legs and stare at something other than your computer screen for a while.

And while you’re at it, your lunch break is important. Grabbing a sandwich while you’re on a work call isn’t healthy.

4) Don’t cut corners with equipment

If you’ve spent the last two years squinting at a laptop screen you’d probably benefit from a proper monitor, keyboard and mouse. It’ll provide a much more comfortable working environment – and you may well be able to request this equipment from your employer, so it shouldn’t cost you anything either.

An office chair and a desk will help to make that working from home experience easier too.

5) Home office

If you’re fortunate enough to have an unused spare room, or existing home office, then it goes without saying that this is ideal for home working. Separating your working life from the rest of your life at home is invaluable.

But at the very least, try to ensure that you have a consistent working space. Whether that’s the kitchen table or a pop-up table in the living room, when your work equipment is set up in that space it’ll help to remind you that you’re working.

Using your laptop in your favourite armchair might seem like a good idea, and it may well work for you, but it creates another danger of blurring the lines between work and home life.

6) Stay in touch

Zoom and Teams are terrific tools for remote workplace collaboration, but they’re also just as useful for keeping in touch with friends and colleagues from the office. There’s nothing wrong with taking a few minutes out of your day for a chat. It will help to maintain (and even strengthen) office relationships and friendships and keep you connected to the people you work with.

It might even be worth giving a few ‘organised’ things a try – like a book club or quiz night.

7) Don’t work sick

If you’re not feeling too well, it can be very tempting to keep going. After all, you’re ‘at home’… that should make it easier, right?

Well, ask yourself, if you wouldn’t go into the office feeling ill, why would you compromise your health and productivity just because you’re working from home? If you’re not well enough to work, it doesn’t matter where you’re working from.

8) Enjoy the benefits

Whether it’s an extra few minutes’ sleep, more time to go to the gym, or being able to pick up the children; whatever you get from the extra time and flexibility that home working provides, don’t feel guilty about making the most of it.

On the other hand, remember that you’re still being paid to work, and you owe your employer the same level of commitment as you would were you working in the office.

9) Make sure your broadband is up to scratch

The broadband connection you were using pre-pandemic may have been enough for your downloading and streaming needs but working from home has likely put more strain than ever on your bandwidth.

Perhaps all that video calling means you’d benefit from additional speed, or maybe you need the extra reliability of a full fibre connection.