Remote working isn’t going anywhere. Despite the promising news of a vaccine, it’s likely we’ll see a combination of office and home working become the norm. The E1MA team share their top tips improve your productivity, health and wellbeing whilst working from home.
Maintain a morning routine
It can be tempting to hit snooze on your alarm clock and lethargically dragging yourself to your desk 5 minutes before you switch on for the day. Having a clear, structured morning routine is the secret to productivity according to our finance manager Maha:
“For me the best WFH tip would be to get yourself into a good morning routine. My morning coffee at my desk, my comfy (anti slouch) chair, and a working from home playlist combine to get my head in the game. Start your day as you mean to go on. “ – Maha
Understand online communication
Now the working day is fully underway. You’ve opened Slack, checked your emails, and prepared for your Zoom calls. Our Senior Digital Consultant George raises an excellent point regarding online communication – don’t jump to conclusions:
I Read an article and found a good WFH tip, which was to “try and always assume positive intent”. Sometimes when you’re WFH and communicating much more with clients/colleagues via slack/email etc, quick messages can come off as rude or flippant. It helps if you use emoji’s (where appropriate) so people can gauge the tone of your messages.” – George
Take a lunch break
A theme that appears in many work-from-home tips is separating your home life from your working life. Seeing as you don’t need to pop out to grab lunch, it can be tempting to have a ‘working lunch’ – sitting at your desk (or dining table) and working whilst you eat. Our general manager Joey suggests this is a bad idea:
“Often working from home means you are closer to a kitchen which can lead to casual grazing throughout the day. Doing this with lack of movement can make you lethargic. Make sure you make time for a lunch break. Take a breath of fresh air, put your gadgets down and eat a healthy meal. It will allow your mind to rest, recharge and refocus on the what you need to do for the rest of the day.” – Joey
Choose the right music
Playing music whilst you work can improve your mood and in some cases, your productivity. We always play music in the office, but if you need some inspiration whilst working from home check out our latest playlist. Our Digital Marketing Intern Bryce believes the perfect soundtrack is everything:
During the week, music is the soundtrack to your career (I know it’s cheesy but it’s true). And at work, the best playlists are diverse playlists, you can listen to music that matches the energy of the project you’re working on. Video game and movie soundtracks are excellent at this. In the movie or game itself, this lyric-free music is designed to help you focus, it only makes sense that it would help you focus on your work as well.” – Bryce
Switch off
At the end of the day, it can be tempting to squeeze in an extra hour, or religiously check your emails throughout the evening. Whilst there’s no denying that this is sometimes necessary, our Head of Digital Joel suggests clearly defining your working hours and leisure hours:
I think it’s important to know when you’re on and when you’re off whilst working from home. Whenever possible, set a time where you say “my work day is finished now” and pivot from work mode to leisure mode. It can affect you more than you realise when you’re constantly ‘on’ so it’s important to set boundaries where you decide you are going to relax in your space as opposed to working in your space. This helps to keep your performance at a higher level by keeping you focussed for shorter periods of time.” – Joel
Read more
We don’t mean Twitter either. Reading has had a major resurgence in popualarity during the pandemic, as people look for more pastimes that can pursue at home. Our digital marketing executive Ben explains how reading can benefit your work in more ways than you think:
“Throughout my time working from home I’ve been using my ‘commuting time’ to read more – I spend at least two hours a day reading. Every morning I read the news and check out the latest industry insights. Reading novels helps improve my creativity and copywriting skills. I also read non-fiction books around the subjects of business and psychology. One book I recommend for improving your productivity whilst WFH is ‘Deep Work’ by Cal Newport.” – Ben
Exercise regularly
With gyms frequently closing and classes being cancelled, it’s easy to stop exercising and instead sit at home watching Netflix. Our Managing Director Nick stresses the importance of regular exercise. Not only does it improve your health physically, but can do wonders for your mental health as well. Being in your peak condition will only improve your productivity when you hit the desk. Nick walks our office dog Ziggy every morning and religiously jogs around the park – even in winter.
