6 Killer Ways to Crush Working From Home

The last year has seen a giant shift in the workforce. The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have forced employers to take a good, hard look at how they do business. As a result, the business park is quiet. The ties and dress shoes collect dust. More people are working from home than ever before.

While there are many pros to working from home – no morning rush hour, no boss breathing down your neck, perhaps no daycare is needed – there also comes some challenges. Time management distractions can be a real workflow buzzkill. And it’s hard not to take work home with you when working from home. And with reports suggesting that working from home leads to longer hours, it’s important to optimize your at-home office. Here are the 6 killer ways to crush working from home.

Be Set for Success

You might not have to go into the office or face anybody directly when you work from home, but this doesn’t mean you can be ready for the day. Set yourself up to be productive. This means, stick to your morning routine. Take a shower, walk the dog, make breakfast, slam some coffee, and get changed. Maybe you don’t need to wear a suit and tie but get out of those pajamas and run a comb through your hair.

What about your workspace? Do you have all the supplies to crush it? Buy some pens and highlighters. Get a day planner, invest in a space heater or humidifier. Pick the right monitor to stare at all day. You will be hard at work in that space for hours. Set yourself up to get the most out of it.

Carve Out Your Corner

Working from home does not mean working from bed. To optimize your output, set up shop in a corner of the house where you can be fully focused on your work. A good workspace is yours and yours alone. Barking dogs, needy kids, and a blaring TV are quick ways to throw you off track. Give yourself a space where you have all that you need for a dedicated and uninterrupted workday.

The Clock is Your Friend

Just because your morning commute has been reduced to just a few steps, doesn’t mean you should hit the snooze button. Abide by your business hours. This means that it is important that you should not sleep in or cut any corners at the beginning or end of your time sheet. You are working from home without anybody looking over your shoulder. Now more than ever, your performance is judged based on your results.  Just as important: when that clock hits 5PM, time to clock out. It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re working from home. Set an alarm, and when it’s time to close the laptop, power down.

Stay on Target

When you clock in, you should have a pretty good idea of what your day should look like. Map out some goals for yourself. What will you have accomplished by lunch time? By 3? EOD? Set time aside to answer emails, work on reports, crunch numbers etc. This will help you get the most out of your time, rather than just seeing what you get done.

Break

One of the benefits of working from home is you don’t need to pack a lunch. When it’s time for lunch, or even a coffee break – make sure you leave your workspace. Stretch your legs, get a change of scenery and use the time to take your mind off the task at hand. Let yourself have a moment to go kiss your wife or let the dog out in the yard. Your boss will expect you to be working hard from home. Taking a break here and there is a great way to stay sharp.

Roll Call

You may be working from home, but you are still part of a team. Teams thrive by growing and learning together. Open up a chat thread with your co-workers. Start one with and without your boss. Share tips, news, or fun nonsequiturs. Stay engaged and in the loop. You may find that your pace is out of sync with the rest of your team. Or maybe someone has a unique approach that could be helpful.