Make working from home easier with five simple steps

Here are five simple steps to help you to manage the most common challenges of working or studying from home.

1.Make sure you have the right equipment:

It might seem like a basic point, but you can’t study or work from home if you don’t have the right equipment. You’ll need to think about what you regularly use and try to create a similar set-up at home. This might mean trying to find a second screen or a headset for online meetings.

2.Make yourself comfortable:

Working from home means you’re in charge of your surroundings. If your chair is uncomfortable, prop up a pillow behind you to support your back. Think about the lighting in the room you’re working in – a dark room might make you feel tired, but a bright room will help you to focus and feel awake.

Tidy your workspace before trying to work in it. This will help your concentration by taking away distractions.

3.Avoid disruptive noise:

Unlike a normal office or library, there might be a lot of noise distracting you from your task. Your neighbours might not realise that you’re trying to focus during the day. Sitting further back from the window or in a quiet corner of the house could lessen the outside noise and help you to concentrate.

If your family or housemates are making too much noise, let them know the times of your calls so they know when to be quiet or put a sign on your door to ask them not to disturb you while you work.

4.Use communication tools:

If you don’t live with other people, working from home can feel isolating. Using communication tools such as Microsoft Teams and Skype can help to connect you with peers and forget about the distance between you. Making the most of these tools will not only make communicating faster and easier, but can make you feel more connected to those you’re working with.

You can also use these tools for socialising. Video-calling a colleague for a chat over a coffee can be a good way to break up your day. Using these tools to chat to your friends or family in the evenings will also help you to socialise ‘outside’ of work.

5.Avoid overworking:

Finding a healthy work-life balance is never easy and can be even more difficult when working or studying from home. You won’t see your peers start to pack up their things at the end of the day and you won’t be able to leave the office or library as you normally would. This can make it difficult to know when to stop and turn your devices off for the day. It is important to stick to a schedule and have a set time each day to shut everything down and relax.

Working or studying from home looks different for everyone, but with these five steps to overcoming the most common challenges, it should become a lot easier.

For more tips on working from home, see our how to be productive when you’re working from home.

Related links:

Skype

Microsoft Teams

how to be productive when you’re working from home

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