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Original poster

Permanently wfh - tips and advice?

91 replies

Lochnessgiraffe · 23/10/2021 20:06

Does anyone have any tips and advice? I've been wfh since lockdown but it always felt like a temporary thing. I'm about to start a new perm position that is permanently wfh so I have possibly years of this. Dh is also changing jobs to be wfh in Jan. So both of us wfh permanently. So any tips?

OP posts:
immersivereader · 23/10/2021 20:07

Following as it seems like it's gonna be the same for me.

Main thing I think is getting a home office, with a door that closes.

Cattitudes · 23/10/2021 20:10

Build yourself a network of local friends whom you can meet with for a quick lunch/ walk to get out, exercise and socialise with.

Original poster
Lochnessgiraffe · 23/10/2021 20:13

I was thinking of finding a hobby and or some friends as we could bar dog walks never leave the house

OP posts:
LadyCampanulaTottington · 23/10/2021 20:13

Don’t work where you live like the sofa or the kitchen table otherwise it feels like you never leave work. Have a separate space or room if you can manage it.

Take a 5 minute break every hour. The week before last I did 1200 steps one day because I sat at my desk for so long. I bought myself a sit/stand desk to try to combat this.

Separate “tea beak” and “food break” otherwise you’ll eat every time you make tea because it’s your own kitchen and you are on autopilot. Ask me how I know Hmm

Noise cancelling headphones so you don’t hear your DH on every call. Occasionally take the laptop to the library or Starbucks to get out of the house.

WFH has amazing benefits but you need to balance it carefully. Congratulations on your new job OP!

Disfordarkchocolate · 23/10/2021 20:16
  1. Routine.
  2. Set work area in the house.
  3. Getting out of the house during the day.
  4. Take time to build your work connections, so have a chat or meet for coffee etc.
  5. Don't use the saved commuting time to work extra hours for free.
RandomMess · 23/10/2021 20:16

Proper chair that fits you, do yourself as DSE assessment.

Space away from your bedroom as a priority and then your main living space if possible.

A routine of a walk in the morning and evening as if you were commuting even if it's only 10 minutes etc

Original poster
Lochnessgiraffe · 23/10/2021 20:20

We moved to a bigger house 6 months ago so we both have separate rooms to work from which is good as we're both on teams calls most of the day.

Good idea about food breaks as I need to lose weight as I just snack between calls

OP posts:
RandomMess · 23/10/2021 20:23

Definitely have a proper lunch break and eat at your kitchen or dining table.

Ensure you leave 15 minutes between meetings.

Disfordarkchocolate · 23/10/2021 20:25

I'll add having low calorie snacks in the house and not baking cakes on your day off to my list.

RestingPandaFace · 23/10/2021 20:26

Having a good chair and a door that you can close are the main things for me.

I try and get out at least once a day for a quick walk as I could quite easily go Monday to Friday without leaving the house.

Make time for quick chats with colleagues exactly as you would in the office.

RedMarauder · 23/10/2021 20:26

One of my brothers has been WFH for a decade, while myself and lots other siblings have been WFH on and off over the same period.

My brother:

  1. Gets up at the same time each day and does a walk every morning before work.
  2. Refuses to answer his landline during his working hours. He's older so people tend to call his landline unless it's an emergency then call his mobile.
  3. Takes a lunch break where he deals with any non-urgent personal calls and messages.
  4. Doesn't answer the door to deliveries unless he is expecting them. I've suffered from being the person to have deliveries dumped on me for a year because I was the only neighbour in. He hasn't. You don't need to work near your front door for this to happen.
  5. Finishes around the same time every day. He then has an activity that he has to do. This activity maybe just another walk but often it is a social activity. When his children were younger it could be a family activity.

With all of us we have a dedicated area to work in. This may be a room where you can shut the door or just part of a room with equipment that needs to be packed away. Either way the equipment e.g. laptop is not touched outside working hours.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 23/10/2021 20:28

What works for me-

Proper desk in a room that is exclusively for wfh.
A good thermos flask - I make a tea or coffee first thing then again after lunch and make it last. Otherwise I end up doing x y a while waiting for the kettle to boil.
Pre prep lunches/easy grab items. I work through the typical lunchtime so I can use my 30mins to do the school run. I grab something and go straight back to my desk.
On a friday, do a proper "clear down" of the room- all dishes,your personal phone charger, slippers, whatever else has drifted into the room. All taken out and put back. This way you can safely ignore the room for the full weekend.

Original poster
Lochnessgiraffe · 23/10/2021 20:29

Will definitely set out a lunch break when I start at the moment I'm eating at my desk as I have so many meetings.
So far I need to get a proper chair as I've been using a dining room chair and a new monitor.

OP posts:
Mangozesty · 23/10/2021 20:31

I've been working from home since July 2020 and it's going to continue. Some of these tips are great, but I have a one bedroom house and a smallish living room so I don't really have a choice of where to work and certainly can't close a door and be in a separate room.
I do pack all my stuff away at the weekend but during in the week there isn't any point.
I only have room for one table and am using this to work so inevitably end up eating on the sofa.
I struggle some days with being at home so if anyone has any other thoughts I would love to hear them.

Disfordarkchocolate · 23/10/2021 20:31

Also, figure out how to keep warm without having the heating on all day (unless you are rich).

RandomMess · 23/10/2021 20:32

Electric throw for the cold months!

Mayhemmumma · 23/10/2021 20:33

This is really worth a read.
I've begrudgingly worked from home over last 18 months and hated it, I do home visits so my day is broken up but I've been miserable sat on my sofa, really missing my colleagues chit chat and not constant grazing.

I'm moving house and my job may well stay at home, so I'm going to really plan it better this time round.

RomainingCalm · 23/10/2021 20:34

Similar to others but...

  • Make your office feel like a nice place to work. Some pictures on the wall, photos, comfy chair if there is space. Have a good office chair and invest in storage for any files so that you don't have work stuff everywhere. Have risers for your computer screen and a monitor rather than working from a laptop.
  • Schedule breaks and stick to them otherwise you spend all day at your desk. Try to get a walk every day even if it's only 20mins. Be strict about not letting people book up your diary with Teams meetings all day every day. Block out time for tasks that don't need a screen - I have a local coffee shop that I go to a couple of times a week on the way home from school and where I can read through reports and do some planning.
  • Consider scheduling a virtual coffee break with colleagues that you don't work with frequently but who you would probably have a cuppa with if you were in the office. Good advice from a PP to develop a network of local friends to have lunch/coffee with.
  • I have a work 'uniform'. It's more casual than when I was office-based but I like having clothes that I can change out of when work is over.
  • Just review what you have at home in terms of security for data and documents. Do you need somewhere to lock things away and also check your company policy about using your own devices. Make sure that you don't leave computers logged on - even if it's just you and DH at home you don't want to leave yourself vulnerable.
RandomMess · 23/10/2021 20:35

I drink filter coffee and put my coffee on and whilst it brews nip to the loo. That's my desk break every 40-60 minutes.

Original poster
Lochnessgiraffe · 23/10/2021 20:37

Hadn't thought about the heating. We had it on last winter but this is a bigger house we may need to think about it.
Does anyone have a dh who wfh as well? Do you find you get on better?

OP posts:
Itsbeen84yearss · 23/10/2021 20:41

Following as in the same boat. Def need to find a decent chair

noeyeidea · 23/10/2021 20:43

Heated coasters are fantastic, and if I get cold or need a break, I vacuum a room or two or do a 15 min free yoga/ Pilates video on YouTube. Warms me up and puts me in a more positive headspace if it’s a stressful day so far.

Medicaltextbook · 23/10/2021 20:46

I’m now hybrid. I wear quite formal clothes for wfh and it really does feel the end of the day when I change. Back in March 2020 I wore shoes as well but that was taking things too far, but my walking is better in shoes.

I also do a walk each morning like I would commuting, but I could definitely walk further.

Porridgeislife · 23/10/2021 20:49

A decent headset for calls. I splashed out on a refurbished wireless, noise cancelling Bluetooth headset mid pandemic & can’t imagine life without them.

Mrsdoubtfireswig · 23/10/2021 20:53

I work on my kitchen table as no spare space and needed compact equipment that could be put away each day when the kids come home as we eat off it.

I’ve bought a laptop stand from IKEA with a little drawer in, and another riser so the screen is monitor height, and I have a small cushion on my dining chair too so back is supported and screen is eye height.

Everything I need to work goes on the stand / in the drawer so that literally I unplug and shut the laptop each day, and carry the whole thing to the cupboard to put away

I’ve also changed positions so I’m in front of a plain wall for teams calls to save messing with backgrounds / blurring, and also sit in front of the radiator so warm for longer

Lastly I’ve binned off my headphones abs just use the laptop audio. It’s not as clear as headphones but no messing around with wires / unplugging in and out, and also they used to hurt my ears after being in most of the day

I work through lunch most days but if do take one I set a timer so as not to get distracted with hanging washing etc. Also try to get out for either a run or a walk each day for fresh air