Working from home - any tips or advice?
Discussion
Start my new job next week and its a work from home role, having worked in financial services till this point I've never been able to work from home before.
Any hints or tips?
Thinking things like setting a routine, getting up and sitting at desk at a set time every day.
Not putting the TV on, but perhaps having the radio on quietly in the background.
Taking a decent lunch break/walking the dogs to break the day up, rather than lots of small breaks/in the fridge.
Cheers
Any hints or tips?
Thinking things like setting a routine, getting up and sitting at desk at a set time every day.
Not putting the TV on, but perhaps having the radio on quietly in the background.
Taking a decent lunch break/walking the dogs to break the day up, rather than lots of small breaks/in the fridge.
Cheers
I find that getting up at the normal time (I only wfh a couple of days a week) and dressing reasonably well helps - ie, not pj's and dressing gown as some of my colleagues do. I have a separate office room in the house that helps keeps things tidy and also means you can close the door on it at the end of the day. I have a radio on quietly, although if F1 practice is on, then that is playing through the spare pc. I take the dog out for a walk at lunchtime and then a quick walk round the block at about 3ish to help break things up and to keep me moving. Snacking is the worst bad habit for me as a whole kitchen full of supplies a few feet away is not good. Although it also means you can cook something healthy for lunch
Get dressed in a morning.
If it's nice weather sit outside and work.
Be prepared for all other colleagues to somehow think that because you work from home the work fairies magically come along and do your work for you and as such it's an easy life.
Try to speak over the phone/see people face to face regularly (I've become a hermit now after 3 years and hate the very occasional visits to the Office where I have to verbally communicate with people)
Actually switch off your laptop at a reasonable time, otherwise you'll find you are still working at 8-9pm when in the Office environment you would have logged off hours earlier until the next day.
If it's nice weather sit outside and work.
Be prepared for all other colleagues to somehow think that because you work from home the work fairies magically come along and do your work for you and as such it's an easy life.
Try to speak over the phone/see people face to face regularly (I've become a hermit now after 3 years and hate the very occasional visits to the Office where I have to verbally communicate with people)
Actually switch off your laptop at a reasonable time, otherwise you'll find you are still working at 8-9pm when in the Office environment you would have logged off hours earlier until the next day.
I wake up at the same time if I'm working from home so I sometimes go out and buy a coffee and set up the laptop during the time that I'd usually be commuting. I'll usually have a decent breakfast too.
In the two-and-a-half years at this job, I reckon I've done about five weeks' worth of working from home.
In the two-and-a-half years at this job, I reckon I've done about five weeks' worth of working from home.
Surprised nobody has posted up that YT video yet...
Tips:
-get into a routine eg be at your desk at 9am (or whichever you prefer/makes sense for your business)
-lunch and breaks should be routined, too, as should the time you stop for the day
-keep your work space separate from your living space if possible
-if you normally did listen to the radio while working then continue otherwise work in silence
-take regular breaks
-call remote colleagues regularly to keep you sane (unless you are happy with your own company for extended periods of time)
-go out for a walk at lunchtime, maybe to a busy area just to keep you sane
-avoid the TV, surfing the web etc unless it's relevant to your work eg a source of inspiration/ideas
-write a daily to do list and try to achieve the goals
-wearing "work clothes" eg a bit smarter than you would normally dress at home can help get you in the right frame of mind.
Tips:
-get into a routine eg be at your desk at 9am (or whichever you prefer/makes sense for your business)
-lunch and breaks should be routined, too, as should the time you stop for the day
-keep your work space separate from your living space if possible
-if you normally did listen to the radio while working then continue otherwise work in silence
-take regular breaks
-call remote colleagues regularly to keep you sane (unless you are happy with your own company for extended periods of time)
-go out for a walk at lunchtime, maybe to a busy area just to keep you sane
-avoid the TV, surfing the web etc unless it's relevant to your work eg a source of inspiration/ideas
-write a daily to do list and try to achieve the goals
-wearing "work clothes" eg a bit smarter than you would normally dress at home can help get you in the right frame of mind.
Edited by Hoofy on Wednesday 26th July 11:55
- Get up in decent time so you have chance to have a proper breakfast and make yourself as presentable as you'd need to be to work in an office.
- Avoid distractions such as PHeads.
- Stop for lunch and have a proper break. PH allowed. I put YouTube on the TV and watch Harry's Garage, etc. while having lunch. Also, try to get out for some fresh air if possible.
- Finish when you're supposed to at the end of the day and switch off.
Its a sales based role so will be on the phone most/a lot of the day, there will also be regular days in the office with the team and field sales, meeting people face to face, so I am not too concerned about the isolation. I also work in a satellite office at the moment with only 2 colleagues in their 60's so not going from a young diverse sociable team to nothing.
Going out for a coffee or a built up area isn't really a possibility, I'm very rural, however a daily dog walk on the beach and perhaps a pub lunch as a Friday treat could work.
Going out for a coffee or a built up area isn't really a possibility, I'm very rural, however a daily dog walk on the beach and perhaps a pub lunch as a Friday treat could work.
MitchT said:
* Get up in decent time so you have chance to have a proper breakfast and make yourself as presentable as you'd need to be to work in an office.
Which PH would that be? - Avoid distractions such as PHeads.
- Stop for lunch and have a proper break. PH allowed. I put YouTube on the TV and watch Harry's Garage, etc. while having lunch. Also, try to get out for some fresh air if possible.
- Finish when you're supposed to at the end of the day and switch off.
If you're going to be sat at a desk all day, invest (or get your employer to invest) in a decent desk and chair.
Make good use of the time that you're not spending commuting, either for extra work or getting household jobs sorted. It's easy for that time just to vanish without doing anything productive.
I try to have 10-15 minutes either end of the working day to switch into/out of the work/home mindset. It's hard to finish in the evening and walk back downstairs to family life with your mind still whirring with work stuff.
Make good use of the time that you're not spending commuting, either for extra work or getting household jobs sorted. It's easy for that time just to vanish without doing anything productive.
I try to have 10-15 minutes either end of the working day to switch into/out of the work/home mindset. It's hard to finish in the evening and walk back downstairs to family life with your mind still whirring with work stuff.
Hoofy said:
Surprised nobody has posted up that YT video yet...
exactly my first thought...... My tip would be : walk to work - no reason you can't walk a mile or two before sitting down at your work desk for the day.
I find the commute time (even to downstairs via the local shops) helps separate the work life from the home life and gives me the thinking time ahead of sitting down behind a laptop.
Similarly, walk home at the end of the day.
I find that if I don't set a start and finish time, my work at home days are about 12 hours long / never ending.
Bob
Chris Type R said:
Pistom said:
Check out what tax benefits you can claim.
Like ? I work from home full time & don't appear to be able to claim very much. Admittedly I'm self employed.https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/workin...
928 said:
I'm basing my home expenses on this from Eric Mc. Yet to be tested by the tax office!
I'm self employed, so have been using simplified expenses - https://www.gov.uk/simpler-income-tax-simplified-e...It's only £312pa + proportion of mobile cost + proportion of broadband cost. Not much in the big scheme of things - the greatest advantage is not spending money (and time) on commuting. Not much when compared to the cost of running comparable office space.
It might seem like "free" money - heating can eat into it.
Eric Mc's example doesn't mention insurance... there might be an additional cost incurred there, depending on nature of work and whether you have clients/colleagues visiting.
Edited by Chris Type R on Friday 28th July 11:22
I'm far more productive at home than at work. I actually have fewer distractions - At work, I can surf the web the same as I could at home, go make a snack, all that - But I also have colleagues who chat a lot and it's too easy to just be "standing by the water cooler".
On days that I work from home I set myself a to-do list and just ensure it's done. If I've done it by midday? Great. Just leave emails open and phone nearby if something new comes in, but otherwise I semi switch-off. Of course some days there are other background things which can be worked on and then I'll just drop into those for a few hours.
On days that I work from home I set myself a to-do list and just ensure it's done. If I've done it by midday? Great. Just leave emails open and phone nearby if something new comes in, but otherwise I semi switch-off. Of course some days there are other background things which can be worked on and then I'll just drop into those for a few hours.
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