Effective working from home

Following Boris Johnson’s announcement on the 22^nd of February, it is great to see there is light at the end of the tunnel and that we might get back to some sort of normality over the coming months as more of us get the vaccine.

But just what is ‘normal’? Whilst lockdown has been frustrating and restrictive in many ways, particularly to our social lives, many of us have accepted and embraced our new way of working remotely, rather than being in an office Monday to Friday. Some have set up new offices in spare rooms, or in sheds, we have learnt to manage our days accommodating family life with work. And actually, many studies report that working from home is more effective and motivational. For example, a report by academics at Cardiff and Southampton¹ universities suggest most people working from home are as productive, if not more. Following their survey of approximately 6000 people, three times, between April and June 2020, almost 90% said they would like to continue working from home in some capacity, with almost half wanting to work at home often or all of the time.

Other studies show working from home increases performance by 13%². Bloom and Laing found in a study, that of that 13% increased output, around 4% of it came from workers being able to cram in more tasks per minute due to fewer distractions. The remaining 9% was attributed to workers working more minutes per day. Bloom says this is because commutes were eliminated entirely, lunch breaks were shorter and fewer workers took sick days.

Of course, the other benefit of working from home means less overheads for employers. Many large organisations like Fujitsu, have already ceased their office building leases and implemented new flexible working contracts for their employees.

So how can we make sure we make the most of working remotely? Here are some top tips to consider:

1. Set up a designated office space if you can: Having a ‘work environment’ means you can easily get started of a morning and switch off in the evening. Working in your bedroom for example, makes it too easy to just check your emails before bed.
2. Schedule video calls with your colleagues: They don’t have to be project/work related either. Having a ‘coffee catch up’ is good for morale and ensures you don’t miss the people contact quite as much.
3. Schedule break times: Some organisations are implementing no work meetings/calls around lunch which is a great initiative. This means you have the breaks you need and ensures you eat something to keep you going. Also set reminders on your device to have a quick 5 minute get up and walk around every hour or so. Or stand up whilst having a meeting as this helps with energy levels and posture.
4. Manage your workflow effectively: Use your tools like your calendar to block time for specific work. Block time when you want to/need to finish for the day. To Do lists in your programmes are also useful rather than lots of post it notes stuck everywhere which looks messy and can become disorganised.
5. Eat healthy and exercise: If you need some snacks throughout the day to keep you going, make a little tub up of mixed dried fruit and nuts which are a healthier alternative to crisps and chocolate! Also use your diary to schedule designated exercise time, a power walk outside, or a mini workout in the kitchen. You don’t need gym equipment to get or stay fit. Check out the NHS top tips for a 10-minute workout HERE

If you would like to know more about how to work effectively from home contact us at  help@pureblueocean.com

¹ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53946487

² 15 Working From Home Productivity Statistics to Know (2021) (emailanalytics.com)