Working from home can be awesome

#WFH is the new normal. Right now, teams who used to work together in an office are learning to work together remotely. Fortunately, technology has allowed everyone to benefit from the flexibility of working from home when it’s needed. Everyone who works from home will tell you that it has its benefits, yet also challenges. Here are a few tips that will help you collaborate and work as a team regardless of where you are located.

Set and keep regular office hours

Most people who work from home find they work too much rather than too little. Some remote workers struggle to keep a regular schedule, working a few hours one day and pulling an all-nighter the next. Do your best to set work hours and stick to them. Then try your best to leave work at the ‘office’ and turn your phone on silent and enjoy the rest of your day. Pace yourself and allocate time to recharge so you can be as productive as possible.

Plan and structure your workday

Structure your workday to maximize efficiency. Take advantage of your body’s natural rhythms and plan your work around your most productive hours. Make a list of your most important tasks before you move on to less urgent business. If possible, shut your office door to signal to others that you’re working and don’t wish to be disturbed.

Find the right place to work

It helps to have a dedicated spot to work. Have a spare room? Perfect. If not, anywhere with a table or desk will do. Even simple things like using the same side of the table each day help you get in work mode.

Get your equipment ready

Take a little time to fine-tune your setup. Arrange your keyboard, mouse, displays, speakers, coffee mug, and anything else the way you like them. Make sure you have a high speed internet connection to ensure that you are super-efficient and avoid buffering during video calls!

Cancel out any noise

You might be sharing the space with kids, spouses, pets, or roommates. If it gets noisy, a headset or headphones can be a lifesaver.

Dress to impress

Even though nobody is watching, it is always a good idea to sometimes dress up to lift your spirits. Don’t just rely on putting on your ‘Zoom shirt’ for your virtual meetings. Get fully ready for the day and pretend you’re actually going to work.

Stay active and take breaks

Get creative with your exercise routine. Many gyms and apps are offering free virtual workouts right now. Stretching is also great. Stretch your back, shoulders, and neck if they feel sore. Give your wrists and hands a little stretch too.

Don’t let yourself get lonely

You’re working from home, not the moon. Interacting with other people during the day is recommended. Check in with your teammates and make time for social networking. Music through shared Spotify playlists and watching something on Netflix Party are good mood lifters.

Keep a good routine going

Try to start and stop work at the same time, and try not to take meetings from your bed, or forget to shower (trust us, it can happen). For most of us, it feels good to put on some work clothes and get ready for the day.

Collaborative Tools

Relying on just phone calls and email makes remote collaboration tough. Video calls and faster messaging make a huge difference. Use tools that let everyone work on documents and projects at the same time. Try SharePoint, Miro, Slack, and Figma.

Having clear guidelines for when to work and when to call it a day will help you maintain a work-life balance.

WFH as a business operations strategy is here to stay, so success requires updated programs of inclusion and appreciation.

Contributed by TheWebinarsGuy.com