6 Tips for a Great ‘Work From Home’ Workday

For many people who used to dread the idea of traveling to and from the office daily, the idea of working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic sounded like a dream come true. Some welcomed the fact that they didn’t have to don their stiff shirts, pants, skirts or suits. For others, the thought that they could sleep in just a little more was like a gift from above.

However, it did not take long for the ‘blah’ feeling to set in. Adam Grant called it languishing in his now famous TED Talk. Others are calling it ‘The Great Burnout’.

The Great Blah

Unfortunately, working from home wasn’t as romantic as many thought it would be. With the lines between work, home, school – and even hospital – blurring, many started dreading the routine, and even began seeing a drop in productivity. Work and life were becoming a drag. There were no clear starts or stops to the day. To make things worse, managers used the ‘work from home’ opportunity to demand more from their employees. All this contributed to ‘The Great Blah’.

When you used to work in the office, you had a routine and a work mindset. You woke up at a certain time, you dressed for success, you travelled to work, punched away at the keyboard, had meetings, knocked off checklists, and eventually shut the laptop down when the day was done.

Now that you’re working from home, you need to create a similar mindset. It’s not going to happen overnight, and is a process that’s going to require some changed habits – but it can be done.

Routine for ‘Work From Home’ success

We recommend developing a routine for success so that you don’t develop that feeling of drifting aimlessly. It requires discarding some bad practices and inculcating some which will get your mind and body ready in the morning, and focused throughout the day.

They are:

1. Start the work day properly

2. Dress for success and productivity

3. Drop your distractions

4. Hang up bad habits

5. Create your work space

6. Plan your day

1. Start the work day properly

Don’t wake up checking email, because that can cause stress and tension, especially if you’re managing tough projects or if you get some unwanted email. Don’t turn on the laptop while still half sleepy, or keep going back to it every few minutes to see if new emails or instant messages came in. Have a morning routine, if any. The could be a morning exercise routine, or a dog walk, breakfast, or even some meditation. Complete it, and get started at work at a fixed time as if you’re starting the day at your office desk.

2. Dress for success and productivity

We’re not talking power suits, ties or blouses. Instead, put on clothing that indicates that you’re ready to start working. Get out of those pyjamas and nightgowns, or even sweaty clothes if the first thing you did in the morning was exercise. It can be shorts and T-shirts, but draw clear lines between work clothes, exercise clothes and sleep clothes. We know of people who even have weekday underwear that they simply do not use on the weekends, and vice versa – the weekend underwear is not used on work days!

3. Drop your distractions

A 2020 study from CareerBuilder singled out mobile phones as the greatest cause of distraction for employees, resulting in a large chunk of the nearly 8 hours a week wasted on non-work activities. Our phones are with us at all times, and we jump to react when a new message arrives, or when we receive notification from our favourite social media networks. An idea for success is to keep the phone away beyond arm’s reach so that we’re not tempted to simply reach out and distract our minds from work. And here’s a more contentious suggestion: don’t let your children distract you (if possible). Children who are old enough to understand must be told that you’re “at work” so that your workflow and mindset aren’t interrupted.

4. Hang up bad habits

More people are tuning to Netflix during their breaks – and often times, the time slips away. Others are taking more naps during the day. These can cause lethargy and languish. Breaks should not slow you down; instead, they should invigorate you. Have a fixed amount of time for breaks (10-15 mins every couple of hours); take your eyes away from the screen and step into the sun if possible. If that’s not possible, get those joints working by moving around. We know of friends (health-freaks!) who do a set of push-ups or sit-ups during the last few minutes of each hour. If you have pets, go play with them. You get the health- and mood-boosting benefits of playing with pets, and in return, your pets get more love from you. It’s a win-win!

5. Create your work space

For many these days, the bed has become the de facto place for work, sleep and TV. What does it do for the mind? We trust the BBC when they say that the mattress-office can result in both psychological and physical problems . Create a spot in your home for work, so that when you enter that space, all dressed for success, you know you’re ready to step on the accelerator and power up the work mode. And you don’t have to be fixated with one location only. Many households have 2 or more working people. Just find the places where you’re able to focus. Our recommendation is to avoid sofas, couches and beds, and instead, go for tables and chairs, or even spots where you can work standing up.

6. Plan your day

Have you experienced the day running out from under you? You look at your clock, and the next thing you know, it’s almost time to power down…but you didn’t get the key tasks done! It doesn’t matter whether you prefer To Do lists or Timeboxing. By planning your day, you’re identifying critical tasks that need to be acted upon. You could do it the day before or on the morning of the new workday. Here’s a cliché to solidify this point: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.

There are many more ways to get a great day when working from home, and what works for some may not work for others. Nevertheless, it’s all about the desire to get the most out of the day.