To ask those of you who WFH for tips

[MotherOfDragons90]

I currently WFH on a Friday for various reasons including travel costs and time (my route home very busy on a Friday in summer) and desk pressure in the office.

However it makes me feel a bit shit if I’m honest, like I have cabin fever from being cooped up in the house. Especially with this weather. I’m still in my PJs at 10am and I just don’t feel very human, despite getting loads done. (I have washed!)

I get headaches from using a laptop and just generally feel a bit meh.

Has anyone got any tips that make them feel super productive and fresh from home?

I treat it as any other work day when I would be going to the office so get up at the same time, shower, get dressed, do make up and hair (have to do a nursery run too ) and can usually start half an hour earlier than if I was in the office.
So I schedule a half hour break to do some washing/tidying etc then back to it.
Lunch break and pop to the shop for some fresh air then couple more hours with a short break in between.

I find I am often more efficient working from home as less distractions from other colleagues so take advantage of having a few more breaks to do some housework or private admin too.
Maybe try setting a timer for 45 mins work/15 minute break at first and see if that keeps you motivated?

I found the trick to working from home was to plan my work ahead of time. I'd actively save jobs that were good to do from home rather than in the office where there were distractions.

I also liked to be able to break up the day. So I'd start much earlier, while still in pjs to get a jump on the day, get my emails sorted etc. Then break to shower, dress, eat breakfast etc. Then get some more work done. Lunch time I'd either head out to meet someone/do some chores or take the gap to actually eat a healthy, light home cooked meal (usually something the Dh and DC wouldn't eat). Maybe even watch a little TV. Then crack on in the afternoon.

Go for a walk before you start, that way you have to be dressed and you get your blood flowing.

Take regular breaks from the laptop, or do what I did and buy a desktop.

I understand exactly what you mean by cabin fever. I often work from home and find that I can only work effectively for a couple of hours before I need a change of scene. Find that walking (the exercise seems to be important to refresh my brain!) to a cafe with internet is useful - can then work there for a couple of hours before the need for a change of scene rears its head again.

This sounds unproductive but actually works quite well for me. When I go into work I find that quite a lot of time can be wasted in chatting to colleagues (which is lovely but time consuming!).

I do appreciate that I am very fortunate to be able to organise my work with so much flexibility.

Treat it like a work day but with no commute.

Get up and shower and get dressed.

Have a dedicated workspace. Or at least, a dedicated area for the day. Can be put back to normal use at the end of the day. But NO sitting on the sofa.

Use an external monitor. Slim so can be stored away easily if you can’t have it out the rest of the time.

I treat it like a day at work. Get up, showered, dressed for work. Take my lunch break at the usual time. Some days I go for a run at lunch time, just to get a bit of fresh air.

I try not to do too much house stuff, but I'm a chronic procrastinator so I could easily waste half an hour sorting out the cupboard which caught my eye on a tea break.

The isolation was very hard, but my role was full time at home. I much prefer to mix it up with office based now.

I WFH all the time. You have to treat most days like average days or you'll drive yourself mad.

The vast majority of the time, I get up at a normal time, shower and get dressed, have breakfast, sort your emails and stuff... I take a walk at lunch unless it's heavily raining to get me outside. I don't do housework during working hours.

If you're in your PJs at 10am, you will feel a bit bleurgh! It's not a relaxing day as you're working, so it doesn't have the same vibe.

I WFH 3 days a week.
It's easy to get down when doing it. It can be really isolating and you can get cabin fever so you have to make the effort to not stay in PJs, to stick to a routine and to get out the house. Someone at my work shared some top tips which are really good.

1. Stick of a routine of sorts. Start at 'sometimes and finish at a set time. Do not go back to work after you've finished. Make your brain 'leave the office
2. Have a shower and get dressed. Imagine you have a video call at 5 mins after start time and make yourself presentable for that (or even better schedule a video call!)
3. Try pretending to have a commute. Go for a walk just before starting work. Use the time saved from your commute to get out.
4. Have a desk/set work space. Not the sofa! Set it up ready with everything in the morning. Ideally have a monitor to plug your laptop into else your neck is going to hurt. If it's not a permanent office space then clear away at the end of the day.
5. Have breaks. Like you would in the office. Go get a coffee, walk around the house at set times.
6. Make sure you stop for lunch away from your desk! Go for a walk in your break. Or to the gym. Put the washing on. Step away from work for a set time.
7. Talk to people. Use Skype or the phone or whatever you have at work!

• even chat online helps feel connected. Chat about normal office chat as well as work stuff.

1. Set your to Do list for the day like you would do in the office.

Basically you need to find a way to separate your work space (physical and brain space) from your home space.

Hope that helps!

I WFH four days a week and go into the office the other day. As PP have said, definitely treat it as a normal work day. Get up, showered, dressed as you would if you were going to the office. This gets you into your 'working' frame of mind. Take regular breaks from the PC - at least 5 minutes every hour and use that time to get up, walk away from your desk, stretch a bit. Maybe do a chore (put on the washing). Drink plenty of fluids. Try and do something at lunchtime - some chores, or go for a walk. It's good to go out, even for half an hour, to get some fresh air and interact with other people.

Sorry to go off course, but could I be cheeky and ask what career everyone has to WFH? I would love the opportunity to be at home more and currently have quite a few issues with commuting to my office.

I WFH doing two different freelance jobs I LOVE it! If I’m feeling unproductive I either go to a cafe with WiFi or a coworking space (mine costs about 15 quid a day) which is a lovely, creative environment with fresh ground coffee on tap and people to chat to during breaks. Lots of cities have them, so worth a look to help break up the week.

Monitor and wireless mouse and keyboard won't cost too much and make a huge difference to speed and efficiency (for me)

@Somuchchocolatesolittletime not cheeky at all! I’m a freelance editor (was inhouse at a publishing company for a decade pre-maternity leave) and I’m also currently doing some consultancy work for a university beforehand I start my part-time PhD (which I’ll get paid for, but will carry on working alongside) in autumn. I am incredibly lucky to have ended up with such a flexible and multifaceted career and it always keeps me on my toes!

Don't allow others to help you fall into a trap of slacking off because you're at home not work. I work from home unless seeing a client. It can be very frustrating getting friends and family to understand I am not available. Do not disturb settings are fantastic, as is the video doorbell!

I have to be strict with the kids too, unless it is an emergency when I'm working I'm working.

I absolutely agree with everyone else, start the day as if you might see a client or your boss at any moment. Wear suitable clothes, hair and make up done etc. It will put you into "work mode" :)

Yes, I always shower and dress as usual work day - it's not a time for a lie-in

If time and management allows, perhaps break the day up a bit - I won't go on a west end shopping trip or anything, but I might take the opportunity to go to the gym, for example. Still doing my hours, obvs.

Putting on background music can help for me

@Somuchchocolatesolittletime I edit a professional journal and line manage a few other editors. Editorial work is a really good one from home, there's really no need to be in the office every day.

I usually work 1 day a week from home, but my manager's very flexible so sometimes I work more at home during holidays etc.

I WFH full time and although today am sat in my dressing gown, I do usually make the effort to be showered and dressed before I start my day. The PJ thing is the least productive thing you can do really.

Regular breaks. Sometimes I need background noise, sometime I need peace and quiet.

Somuchchocolatesolittletime
marketing. Consultancy when I was full time at home but now I'm back in-house role so I'm in the office more.

Helps that I work for an IT company so we have technology which means I can login and work exactly as if I'm in the office. Except today because it's not working

Ooh another tip - if you need to do something in the house (laundry or hoovering etc) do it first thing so it’s done and you can focus on work

I WFH two days a week. I love it as it means I can get up a bit later, put the washing on, etc. It also means I have time to do some morning yoga.

I get up, shower and get dressed like I normally would for work and start work at the usual time. I put the radio on for company.

I take the dog out for a walk lunchtime to get some fresh air.

Sometimes, if I'm feeling like I need to get out the house, I'll take my laptop down to Costa and work from there for a bit.

It's great not having to travel as this saves me two hours a day.

I love WFH. Take regular breaks from your laptop. Make sure your environment is conducive to work, ie. proper chair, computer at the right height etc. Don't sit on the sofa in your pyjamas! If you feel cooped up, take a half hour walk at lunchtime.

Enjoy being able to have things exactly the way you like them - temperature, noise level, nice food for lunch that you can actually cook, no irritating colleague slurping their tea and sniffing...

Somuchchocolatesolittletime

I'm a journalist.

I work from home on a Monday and Friday. Prior to this I was self-employed and worked from home all the time.

I get up as if I was going to the office, get washed and dressed, and I find I get so much more done without the waste of time commuting. I do take regular tiny breaks to make a cup of tea, wander round the house and then get back to my desk.

I don't miss my colleagues! And all in all, I find it a more productive way of working for me, and less stressful.

It's not for everyone though, you do need a bit more discipline.

I run my business from home so it's a bit different. I have my office in the garden. I always get properly dressed, I don't do house jobs in my working time and once I finish for the day I get changed. It just helps with the mindset

I work from home one or two days a week, but I do sometimes struggle with productivity! I find I faff about in the morning and only get into the flow of it in the afternoon.

My new routine is working well - drop off DD, go to a cafe, set a specific task to get done, leave once it is done, head home, have lunch, set another task for the afternoon.

Works well for me - just because you WFH, doesn't necessarily mean you have to be at home?

Love it. Freedom! And the profession I’m in the other people are deadly dull so I’m not “missing out” on the colleague front as may be the case in creative industries