Working from home? Discover our 8 handy tips!

Note: This blog has been publiced earlier in march. Because we have been working from home for several months now, we have updated the article with new figures.

Working from home and corona: the figures

We have been working at home for about 3 months now and it seems like, working from home still remains the norm. According to research by a dutch research, 53% of the respondents have responded positively about working from home and 49% indicate that they want to continue working from home after the Corona crisis.

The main reasons are:

• Lack of travel time: 68%
• Organize your own time better: 61%
• Better concentration: 43%
• More time for the family: 29%

This percentage is much lower for people with children: only 13% of them are better keeping their attention at home than at the office.

Lack of concentration is one of the main reasons to want to work at the office again, also for people without children. 

1. A fun workspace

Create a designated workspace that feels comfortable and boasts lots of natural light. Research shows that working in a space that is bathed in natural light boosts productivity. Also invest in a good office chair. You’ll soon notice that once comfy, you can work for hours without annoying backaches.

Are you one of those people who simply can’t work at a messy desk? Or are you the type of person that has all sorts of things scattered across the table? See what works best for you. Tidy up what isn’t relevant for your work, but make sure you know where everything is, so that you don’t lose anything important.

Browse our customers’ online stores to snap up some fun storage solutions and planners for your home office.

2. Always listen to the boss (we mean YOU!)

If you want to be successful working from home, you’ll need a good dose of discipline. That’s a must, because otherwise you’ll often end up postponing work and your productivity will drop. Be strict with yourself. Make a clear schedule, so that you know in advance what time you’ll start working and what needs to be done in one day. Feeling overwhelmed? Then try to split up tasks to boost your motivation.

Tip: Write down your to do's for one day and mark them as soon as the task is finished. It makes you feel good if you have a checkered list at the end of the day! Remember the Milk, for example, is a handy tool which can help you.

3. Don't for get to take a break

Once you are in a flow it can happen that you forget to take a break. Set an alarm to not forget your lunch break and take a walk outside to stretch your legs. Exercise is important for maintaining a healthy circulation, which in return has a positive effect on your productivity.

4. No more distractions

Nowadays we have a tendency to check our emails and cellphones non-stop. If you really want to be productive, you need to switch off all distracting notifications. That’s right, no more WhatsApp messages, phone calls, texts and emails. You’ll see, you’ll get so much more done! Of course your customers need to be able to reach you, but try to limit yourself to a set number of email/social media moments. If you clearly tell your customers when they can expect a reply, this shouldn’t be a problem at all.

To really work productively, we recommend that you disable all distracting notifications for a while. Do you still think it's difficult to discipline yourself to stay off your phone? There are apps that can help you with this, such as QualityTime.
 

5. No household tasks during working hours

A quick trip to the grocery store or a few loads of washing… When working from home, you might be tempted to do these ‘quickly, in between tasks’. The problem is, these seemingly little things take up more time than you’d think. Try to spend a few hours working without any interruptions. That will allow you to finish the bulk of your work and feel more satisfied in the end.

6. Pajama days? Yes, but not too many!

A big advantage of working from home is that, in principle, you could spend the whole day in your pajamas. Sounds like fun, right? Well, why not get dressed first thing in the morning? You’ll immediately notice the difference. All of a sudden you’ll set to work with a much more active mindset!

7. Call other entrepeneurs

Many people who work from home say they sometimes feel lonely. Try to call fellow entrepreneurs to discuss or ask feedback. You can see each other via videocall (Skype, Google Hangouts or Facetime): that makes it more fun :-)

8. Don’t become a workaholic

When you work from home, there’s no closing the office door behind you, so it’s tempting to sit down and ‘finish up a few bits here and there’. Just remember, no matter how much you love your job, there’s no need to overdo it. It’s OK to work late every once in a while, but make sure you’re not working day and night! You need some you-time to stay focused. And let’s face it, your partner surely deserves some attention too ;)

In a nutshell, working from home really is different for each and every one of us. The key to success is to find out what works best for you. Do you have any interesting experiences and handy tips you want to share?