and Making It Work

A Beginner's Guide: ( How to Work from Home and Making It Work(

Everyone expects their frst day of work to include some sort of fanfare, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy WFH. It can be just as fulflling, rewarding and fun as working at the ofce, if you know how to make it work. If you’re new to WFH, here are some basics you should grasp.

Everyone expects their frst day of work to include some sort of fanfare. Perhaps you imagine yourself all dressed up to the nines and being introduced lef and right by your new boss. Maybe you’re looking forward to having your own work cubicle and getng to know your next-door (or partton) neighbour. Or possibly, the idea of just being in an ofce setng with a dynamic team, brainstorming campaign ideas and coming up with real-life solutons, excites you.

Unfortunately, life has now thrown us a curveball and that scenario is more likely a dream than reality. Living in a society barely out of a pandemic (or stll struggling with it, depending on the situaton) means working from home (WFH) will contnue to be the norm.

Chances are, on your frst day of your frst job as a full-fedged working adult, you’ll just roll out of bed, comb your hair, and setle down at your laptop before being introduced to your new colleagues via an online platorm. Or you may start your frst day at work in a virtually empty ofce while your boss and HR manager go through with you your onboarding process.

It might sound like a bummer start to your working life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy WFH. It can be just as fulflling, rewarding and fun as working at the ofce, if you know how to make it work. If you’re new to WFH, here are some basics you should grasp.

Act like you’re going to the ofce

It’s temptng to sleep in, wake up fve minutes before work starts and drag your feet to the computer. But you’re unlikely to be more awake or motvated to work with that extra hour of sleep. The frst step to a successful WFH experience is to pretend you’re going to the ofce. Make it into a routne and you’ll soon fnd it won’t be a drag to get out of bed for work at all.

So, make an efort to wake up at the same tme every day, have breakfast and dress up for work. You can even squeeze in an early morning workout to shake of the last dregs of sleep and prepare for the day ahead!

Be in the zone

Being in a conducive working environment does wonders for your productvity and motvaton. Obviously, this means not working from bed and maintaining a dedicated workspace instead, even if you don’t have your very own ofce at home.

Decorate it with your favourite toys, photos of your friends and family, and printouts of inspiratonal quotes to perk your day up. Remind your family to give you space and let you concentrate on your work during ofce hours. If you don’t keep a lid on the small distractons, it can quickly spiral out of control.

Quick tips to minimise distractions:

• Stay away from social media and online shopping sites • Keep your workspace cluter-free • Put on noise-cancelling headphones and listen to classical music (or songs without lyrics) • Lock your door if you have your own home ofce

Stay in the zone

If you’re in the zone, you’ll be able to cross of completed tasks from your to-do list. The more you do, the more productve you’ll be. But there’s more to the art of just tcking items of your list; you have to know how to prioritse the important tasks as well.

Experts have also agreed that doing the hardest task frst in the morning allows you to take it easier the rest of the day, and puts you in a beter mood, which increases productvity.

You’re not alone

It might feel like you’re alone, but you’re not. The onboarding process is tougher than usual when it’s done virtually, and you may not be able to learn as quickly or as easily on your own. Relying on your colleagues on video calls or emails is tmeconsuming as well.

It’s much more challenging, but the solutons are there. Don’t give up, and don’t be afraid to keep reaching out to your boss or colleagues to clarify any maters that you’re uncertain about.

Stay within your boundaries

Although you’ve cut down on your commute tme, you’re also more likely to overwork during WFH than when you go to the ofce. This could be atributed to receiving work chat notfcatons and emails at all hours, or simply lacking productvity during the day, and making up the hours to meet deadlines by working beyond ofce hours.

Whatever the reasons are, it’s important for physical health and mental well-being to keep working hours in check to avoid burnout!

Quick tips to work well:

• Master tme boxing (e.g. take a fve-minute break afer every 25 minutes of work) • Create a “do-not” list of things you shouldn’t do in the middle of your tasks • Schedule your day according to your productve hours

Quick tips to not feeling alone:

• Invite colleagues to online brainstorming sessions • Stay socially connected with friends and family • Don’t work in silence all the tme (listen to music) • Look out the window and take in nature during break tmes • Consider taking a short walk around your neighbourhood daily • Stop working during meal tmes and eat with your family

Quick tips to avoid overworking at home:

• Prioritse tasks and work on them in realistc tme frames • Say “no” if necessary • Take breaks

Finding what works for you takes patence, resilience and lots of practce. Don’t be so hard on yourself if you can’t instantly fnd your fow when it comes to WFH. Every tme you fnd a method or process that doesn’t work for you, don’t take it as discouragement, but rather learning something new about yourself. Keep at it, and before long, you’ll receive the fanfare you’ve always imagined – but this tme, for being good at your job!

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