Many students are living up to the reality that much more time is going to be spent working remotely than ever before. For many small business owners, this is the norm. However, for most, working from home full-time is a completely new scenario - the initial novelty quickly turning on itself as reality kicks in.
As a team that predominantly works from home , we thought we would share some tools and tricks to help you manage this new normal so that you can continue to work effectively without work taking over your life.
Create a workspace
One of the biggest problems that people find when transitioning to working from home is the lack of separate working space. Not everyone is lucky enough to have access to an office or study so you might need to create a makeshift desk on your dining room table or in your living room.
You want to find yourself a space with plenty of light, ideally near a window. Wherever possible try to keep this outside of your bedroom but somewhere quiet so that you have clear division between work space and personal space. If this is not possible, make sure that you make your bed first thing to mark it as a no-work zone (if nothing else, this will make your mum proud!).
If you don’t already have an office set up, a good monitor and office chair can be an invaluable investment to protect your back and neck during this time.
Set working hours
It is really easy to get in the habit of always being in work mode whilst you are at home. Setting a routine of when you will be online and working makes it easy to maintain balance in your life and the expectations of your colleagues.
If you are struggling with distractions from others in your house, consider taking an hour or two our of your usual working day and put them first thing in the morning so you can get some peach and quiet to get work done.
Blocking out time for tasks (personal and work) in your calendar and setting reminders on your phone can help keep you organised and focused on your work.
At the end of the day, try to switch off from work completely. Put your laptop away and try not to check your emails. If this is necessary, only respond to anything urgent and mark anything non-urgent to respond to in the morning - remember emails are other people’s priorities, not your priorities
Build healthy habits into your routine
When you are working from home, your life will become very sedentary very quickly. Schedule in regular breaks and meal times so that you get enough exercise and don’t get in a habit of sitting on the sofa and snacking.
Get active whenever you can - for example, if you have a call can you take it whilst on a walk (even if it just around your room?). Try to keep snacks out of sight and stick to your usual meal routine - if you are hungry, grab a banana or a satsuma so that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals. Batch cooking meals or cooking enough dinner to also cover lunch the next day can save you lots of time, aid a good diet and help avoid food waste.
Remove distractions
Did you know that you work most effectively in 52 minute chunks of time? The 52/17 method is based on research to maximise your productivity.
Set your timer for 52 minutes and get to work. Don’t jump between tasks, don’t pick up your phone (if you can, put it in another room!), just work. At the end of the time you will be amazed about how much you have achieved.
Take a break
The 52/17 rule also states that 17 minutes is the optimum break time. Try not to use this time not moving and scrolling on social media, instead make sure that you get your body moving - go and make a cup of tea, do some star-jumps, have a dance to your favourite song, put a wash on, take a quick walk up and down your road. I’m not saying don’t check your Insta feed, but try to do it whilst moving your body!
Social distancing does not stop social interaction
The impact of long term social distancing will put a lot of pressure on our mental health. It is really important that we take good care of ourselves, not just for our own well-being but also to reduce the strain wherever this is possible on an already overloaded NHS.
Get plenty of fresh air, follow an online gym class, have a Skype dinner date with your friends, play a game via Facetime, try a Masterchef challenge with your food scraps, go through your clothes and prepare a bag of items to donate to charity later this summer, read that book you got a Christmas, and most importantly make sure that you checking in regularly with yourself and loved ones.
Blog by Ace Accountancy the number one revision guide provider for students studying towards their professional accounting and finance exams.