Working from home has increasingly become the thing to do, what with the COVID pandemic, lockdowns, business restrictions and self-isolating, a business and it’s the employees must adapt to survive.
For many working from home may have been a novelty at first but as time goes on the makeshift office station on the dining room table is proving difficult for many to say the least.
I personally have worked from home for over 13 years, it does take some getting used to, but with the right outlook, set up and space almost anyone can make a success of home working.
-
It all starts with a great, rock-solid connection.
Great internet connection is a must. I don’t just mean fast broadband speed I mean a superb connection to the laptop or desktop computer your using. WIFI may be ok for browsing the internet or using Social media, but when you need to work efficiently a superb wired connection is always the very best option.
Wired connections don’t suffer from signal drops due to interference, plus they don’t tend to slow down too much when the rest of the family are streaming movies or playing games online. What’s more wired connections provide possibly the very best speeds available, making sure you get the most from your broadband connection.
Many may be scratching their heads wondering how on earth they set up a wired connection to their computer.
You can do it yourself, like many things if you have the ability, tools and technical knowledge then away you go. However, if you don’t know your USB’s from your RJ45’s then perhaps it’s best to get a professional in.
At Arantec we provide all the experience, equipment and expertise to get the job done quickly. You can have one wired network connection or multiple outlets dotted around your home meaning you can if you wish work from the bedroom, kitchen or home office space, we can even provide a wired network connection to a garden home office (if you are lucky enough to have one that is).
-
Get Dressed!
It’s so easy to slip into the habit of not getting dressed when working from home, pyjamas are great to wear around the house, but trust me – get dressed for work! According to a study from Northwestern University, employees, no matter what profession they are in, perform better when they wear clothes that have “symbolic meaning.” So it follows if you wear certain things for work normally, wear them when you work from home. It helps set the scene and get you in the zone.
-
Get yourself a workspace
This may sound simple, but for many, this can be a tough one. To work from home the best you need to find yourself a quiet corner somewhere in your home. It’s all very well and good working from bed once in a while but it means your bed becomes a place of work rather than a place to rest. Find a place where you can maybe leave your work behind, somewhere that means you can separate work life from home life. If you have to work in the kitchen or bedroom make sure you’re strict about putting work down after you’ve done your stint.
-
Don’t forget to check-in
It’s easy to get into your own work bubble, literally isolate yourself and not check in with your line manager. Make a point to check-in, schedule it into your week to send an update as to where you are up to, what your work plans look like and what your goals are. Having been a manager of remote workers it’s imperative to hear from your team how they are getting on, not so much to check up on them but to make sure they aren’t struggling with work or the schedule. Many employers may not share my management ethic but I believe a healthy, happy team is a productive team.
-
Structure your day
This may sound obvious but you’d be surprised how many people who work from home fail to structure their day. Yes in some ways you can choose when you work but try to keep a routine, get up get ready and get to your desk. Make time for breaks, have lunch away from your work and lastly finish at the right time. It’s so easy to forget these things, again as a person who managed teams, I hold firm to the fact that work is a set period of time. If a person isn’t able to complete the work in the given time then there’s a training need or the work is too much. So finish work promptly and ‘clock off’ properly. Put the desk space to one side and put your phone as far as work is concerned on to do not disturb. Leave work at work – simple.
-
Lastly and most importantly look after your health
If you need to use an app to remind you to get up and walk around, take some exercise or even just run upstairs, do so. Please don’t sit glued to your seat for 8 hours solid. It’s easy to fall into that trap, especially when you are feeling that sense of ‘flow’ when hours simply whirl away down a vortex called the workday. Just getting up stretching your legs for a few minutes can be the difference between being healthy and not. I aim to get up and about every 30 minutes to an hour, it’s worked for me so far, fingers crossed it continues.
No matter how long you work from home, maybe a day or week or it may become a permanent thing, the way you work from home and how much you get out of it is down to you. Yes, Arantec can provide you with great home networking and fast connections, but the pleasure you can get from working from home is for you to work out.
Love it or hate it, working from home is here to stay.
Some love working from home, others hate it, no matter what, working from home is here to stay in one shape or form, so perhaps it’s time we all embraced and learned to appreciate the many benefits working from home can bring. No commute for one, not sure about anyone else but I love knowing that I save 3 hours per day not commuting to and from work.
If you need help setting up your home office connection call us today