With the rising threat of the coronavirus COVID-19 and the recent advice from governments around the world, many people have found themselves facing the prospect of working from home for an extended period, possibly for the first time in their careers.

Working from home can be enjoyable – that’s the first thing to say. It means you don’t have to commute (unless you count a walk round the block if you follow the suggestion below), and to a certain extent you can manage your own time. You can even go shopping for toilet roll or hand sanitizer at lunchtime, if that takes your fancy.

Of course, working from home can also be challenging if you aren’t used to it. One of the first things is getting accustomed to the idea of being at work while being at home. For the first couple of days you will probably find it quite easy. But then the novelty will wear off and you may find that it gets more difficult to stay motivated and ensure that you have a good balance of free time and work time. There may also be the added conundrum of how to look after children or others ‘and’ work, or keeping your keyboard free from the unwanted, idle wanderings of a pet tabby…

Before I joined the Press in April last year, I was a freelancer for nearly five years. I spent most of that working from home (or hot-desking in clients’ offices, but that’s another story…). During that time, I found some strategies that worked for me, and I’d like to share these with you now. I hope these ideas will make the experience more bearable, or even enjoyable. I can’t stress enough how vital it is to separate work and personal time – even if the physical space is the same (or very close) – and how important this is to staying sane and healthy. So:

• If you use a laptop, you should try to hook it up to a monitor and separate keyboard (if you have them) at home – eyestrain and a bent neck help nobody. Also, make sure you have a comfortable chair that supports your back.
• If you are self-isolating and can’t get out, then remember to get the contact details of friends and family – especially if you are a face-to-face sort of a person normally – so that you can easily get in touch if you are feeling a little, well, isolated.
• Otherwise, try to get out for a walk (or a cycle ride if that’s your thing) at least once a day, even just round the block or down to the local shop. One simple idea is to take a walk around the block in the morning and at night, as a pretend commute. This is also quite a nice way to mark the start and end of your working day and mentally separate work time and personal time.
• If you are part of a team who are all working from home, think about setting up virtual coffee breaks, or perhaps regular team catch-ups. These don’t have to be about work…
• At any rate, remember to take tea/coffee/stretching breaks as you would in the office! It’s easy to get sucked in when you’re working on your own and not realise that you’ve worked straight through lunch. Do remember to take a lunch break!
• Some people find it hard to work when it’s very quiet. If that’s you, then think about putting some music or the radio on in the background. For others, silence is golden, so just do what suits you.
•  If you are likely to be doing a lot of video calls, then think about what people can see behind you and move your laptop accordingly, particularly if you are talking to people from outside your organisation.
• At the end of the day (perhaps before you take a walk around the block to wind down?) shut the work computer down and leave it (preferably) in another room if you can. It’s very tempting to ‘just quickly check’ email, only to find your evening has gone because you’ve got caught up in something that could have waited until the next day.
• Try to sit somewhere you can’t see the fridge or the biscuit tin! OK, it’s not a very serious point, but you will be amazed how quickly snacks, packets of biscuits and chocolate can disappear in a working-from-home house!

And finally:

• Don’t forget that if you are really struggling with home working, speak to your manager or a colleague. Never suffer in silence!

Further reading:

If you’re studying at home, take a look at this other blog, which provides further tips on how to stay productive. And if you’re working from home, these hacks might also come in handy.