Permanently wfh - tips and advice?

[Lochnessgiraffe]

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?

We get the washing etc done in the week but cleaning waits until we’ve finished work.
Our management have impressed upon us that they want us to treat WFH with flexibility so as long as we put in our total hours over the week there’s no issue with taking time out to go for a swim or do the school run.
I tend to log on around 7 am and work from the sofa for a hour in my dressing gown. I get all the small tasks done, emails, daily checks etc. I shower and get dressed then and lock myself in the office until lunchtime. We used to eat lunch together but since DH retired he’s often out so I do my own thing now.
I am a carer for my DM so as soon as I finish at 3:30 I am usually off to see her. Quite often she has a medical appointment so WFH has been a godsend in that I can work around that. Sometimes I will take my laptop to her house and work from there.

We are open plan so I dont have even a separate space to work but that is the plan when we move. I've got a proper office chair. I'm trying really hard to have a proper lunch break every day and to get out once a day.

This is a great and really useful thread. I’ve been working from home for eons and you’ve all just convinced me to actually pack up my laptop and stuff at the end of the day. That’ll help the shift a bit. We’re also going to get a shed office early next year — around early February so that will help separate the working and living space as well.

I completely agree with getting stuff done around the house. I usually put a wash on before I start work then hang it out in a break. A bit of tidying up as well no cleaning though as we have a wonderful cleaner who makes life so much easier

Also following for ideas. I have mainly wfh since covid. And as my boss is selling the office but not the business I will be wfh for the foreseeable.

I havent got a spare room as live in 2 bed flat with my teen dc's. I have an office corner in my bedroom. But it is my personal pc, so use it other times also. And dc use it for homework.

I do have a box of work that I keep papers in which helps to keep things a bit separate.

I also get up and stretch my legs every hour for a minute or so or make a drink. I will work through lunch to finish my day quicker always have done this.

Because I hardly ever need to call anyone and most my work is Pc based, I have music or audio in background at least for some of the day as the silence can be deafening at times.

I also have to pop to the office to collect and drop work once a week. And to Post Office. Bit of change of scene there.

Standing desk & a box room as an office, changed my life.
DH also WFH, he's in the attic.
Alternate making hot drinks, make and sometimes get to eat lunch together.
I'd say routine is vital - getting out of house every day.
I'm still pondering a heated throw.
Difficult time is that period between kids coming home & end of day - I try to minimise calls & meetings between 4 & 5, & kids know if door is shut, do not disturb.

Has anyone bought a webcam and new lighting? That sounds dubious but I'm wondering about a new webcam rather than relying on the laptop as I always have to adjust it to avoid double chins

I've always found it possible to do bits and pieces in the house. Nothing major just while the kettle boils of when I need to walk about a bit.

@Lochnessgiraffe

Has anyone bought a webcam and new lighting? That sounds dubious but I'm wondering about a new webcam rather than relying on the laptop as I always have to adjust it to avoid double chins

Yes - I haven’t bought lighting as fortunately my desk looks out onto a sunny window, but I bought a decent Logitech camera for my external monitor as I couldn’t abide seeing the underside of my chin or the faff in constantly sorting out a spot for the laptop so I looked ok on camera. I think it’s a C920 model.

I bought a web cam, nothing flash, it was about £12 on Amazon. My lighting is good (hue so very adjustable ). In fact I look far better on teams than I do IRL .

Loads of helpful ideas.
Agree about a seperate office space. I use a box room and have redone it solely for that purpose and it's been fantastic. Got better storage, shelves etc. Everything second hand and DIY decor meant it didn't cost more than about £150.
I use a seperate monitor and proper desk chair - godsend. I paid for these myself but if I'd been able to get these through work I'd have done that.
Been using a pair of headphones with inline mic but that seems to be failing so may well invest in a headset. Annoyingly I was given one last year but didn't realise it needed a WiFi dongle thing and I think I chucked it away with the box
Like others I use breaks to hang out washing etc, unload dishwasher.
I take plenty of breaks as I find video calls absolutely draining.
Hide self view if you're using zoom - makes it feel much more natural to me.
Use the school run as a commute in the morning. Often ill wake early and get half an hour done before DC wake.
Get chores / DIY etc done in the evenings , makes going to the supermarket feel like a day out!
Heated throw - don't hesitate, absolutely amazing.
Radio on for company when not in meetings.
I try and join work social zooms etc but it just isn't the same for me, I'm going to try and be more proactive about joining or initiating real meet ups.

I’m permanently WFH FT, since March 20. My tips :

If at all possible, set up a proper home office with a proper desk, a big monitor & keyboard to use with your laptop and, most importantly of all, a decent quality, comfortable supportive office chair. Mine cost £200 which I regard as a price worth paying to avoid back problems.

Take a lunch break and get out of the house if you possibly can. I do a brisk 5km walk every day.

Be careful what food you have in the house. It’s so easy to graze on unhealthy stuff when you have fridges & cupboards full of snackable food which you don’t have to buy in the same way you would if you were at work. I keep a bowl of chopped veggies, plenty of fruit & chilled water in the fridge to eat during the working day.

I WFH with my DH, I'm upstairs, he's downstairs. I like it, we coordinate lunch breaks and go for a walk, I'll pop in and say hi when I'm down making a cuppa.

@drury7thedition

I bought an egg chair for the garden and a blanket. It’s in a sunny spot and my idea is that I’ll have a cup of tea out there on a sunny day all year round to get away from my desk for 30 mins.

This is a great tip. I have a little table and chair outside the back door so I can sit out with a cup of tea even when it's cold. 10 minutes of fresh air makes a massive difference.

My husband and I are both wfh, we make sure we have lunch together each day and try to arrange tea breaks for the same time. Makes it feel more like an office, one colleague and I have also linked up on teams and are working at same time while talking etc to each just like we would in the office. I love working from home and feel it really suits us as a family.