The vast majority of Dutch people find working from home quite a challenge. There are several reasons for this. To avoid working from home looking like a mini staycation, we have put together 10 tips to maintain professionalism in the current climate:
1. Dress for work
Often the first thing that gets people excited about working from home is the idea that you can work in your pajamas. While it's okay to dress comfortably, consider coming up with a new uniform instead. This can be comfortable pants and a nice shirt so that you look professional during video calls. Having your own dress code maintains the pre-work ritual and sets the right mental tone for the day.
2. Maintain regular working hours
Stick to regular working hours to create clear boundaries between work and private life. Spending the same hours at work every day gives your brain time to rest. One of the advantages of working from home is the flexibility that comes with it. This means that, if your employer allows it, you can opt for these daily hours. For example, instead of working from 9am to 5pm, you could work from 7am to 3pm, freeing up the afternoon for other activities.
3. Create a designated workspace
Creating an ergonomic workplace is essential for continued concentration and productivity. A dedicated workspace will not only help you change your mindset to work mode, but it can also prevent neck and back pain due to poor set-up. Use books to bring your laptop or monitor to your eyeline. Since the laptop's keyboard will now be too high, you should also make sure to use a separate keyboard and mouse.
4. Set up a zoom-friendly environment
The inability to hold face-to-face meetings means that the frequency of your video calls has increased. Make sure your workspace looks clean and professional and if possible avoid a door in the background of your video calls. This reduces the risk of people walking in the back of your video calls and disrupting the conversation. If this is not possible, set a virtual background for your video calls to block your surroundings.
5. Minimize distractions
Notice what makes you lose focus during the day and remove those distractions. If you work at home with relatives or roommates, communicate with them and tell them what you need. Let them know when you don't want to be disturbed and when they can chat. Scheduling social time, such as during your lunch break, will reduce the number of times they come in for a chat and make you lose focus.
6. Know when you are most productive
We don't always maintain the same level of concentration, so your motivation will go up and down throughout the day. Learn what times of the day you are most productive and take advantage of them. Plan to complete the more difficult or more compact tasks if you know you're in the right space for them. You can then use slower points of your day to complete your easier tasks or schedule calls.
7. Stay in touch with colleagues
To stay focused and avoid feeling overwhelmed at home, keep in touch with your colleagues on a regular basis. By checking in with them, you can keep up to date with ongoing projects while ensuring essential human interaction.
If you have a question, instead of sending a complicated email, pick up the phone and discuss. This is more efficient and gives you the chance to catch up or get in touch to evaluate other projects. However, it is also important to know how your colleagues prefer to work. If you know a colleague prefers email, don't storm them with phone calls during this time.
8. Manage your use of social media
Social media can make us scroll nonsensically for hours every day and, outside the office environment, it's up to you to keep an eye on your usage. Turn off notifications and allocate time throughout the day to check your phone. If you're still having issues, enable Apple or Android screen time settings, which will allow you to set daily application limits and downtime.
9. Virtual commuting
Another benefit of working from home is the missed commute every day. Instead of rolling out of bed 10 minutes before work, use this time saved to be productive. This could be as simple as taking a walk in the neighborhood or reading the newspaper with your morning coffee. Give your brain time to virtually commute to work and separate work and home tasks.
10. Go outside
One of the biggest pitfalls we can find ourselves in when working from home is not leaving the house. Find a reason to go out at least once a day, as long as it's safe:grab a takeaway coffee at your local cafe; go for a run; or do your shopping. The reason doesn't matter, as long as you get some fresh air every day.
Once you've established a new routine, you'll find that working from home can help you be just as professional and productive as you are at the office, if not more.
