A concept many people are becoming more familiar with these days, working from home is something that is only recently becoming practical for many people.
In our industry, it is something that can be done easily and seamlessly thanks to the speed of current home internet connections, and the fact that most people do have computers in their homes now. Go back 20 years, and it was the vast minority who could work from home if needed. There are some careers, such as construction, which for obvious reasons will never be home jobs – however for those of us who can work from home, these can be some essential tips and tools for the tasks at hand.
Proper Setup
You are going to want to make sure you are lined up with all the gear you need before you sit down to begin. I would highly recommend that if you work on a monitor/monitors at the office, you get a peripheral to allow your laptop to connect to your home monitor/monitors as well. Clear your desk of any distractions you may have in your field of view, and try your best to make the surrounding environment quiet enough to work in. Having a good pair of headphones at home will really help, and if it also has a built-in mic, you are covered for your phone as well. Wireless is key here for home, as it will allow you to go to your kitchen and other areas of your home while on the phone. Having a USB hub will also help ensure you have all the connections you may need.
Mimic your Regular Schedule
Try your best to act like you are “going to work” for real. This means getting up at the same time as if you had to commute, doing your same morning ritual, and getting dressed as if you were going to go to the office. This part is important and the temptation is there to skip out on some of this as you do have the extra time and likely won’t be seeing anyone, but the mentality of getting ready for your workday will put you in “work mode” and help to wake up your brain, which may revert to “weekend mode” otherwise.
Try and take your breaks and your lunch at the same time you would at the office as well, as this will help keep your day on track. It is easier to work through lunch, or take excessive breaks if you are not self-monitoring more carefully.
