You see it all around you these days, employees who work from home one day or even several days a week. Good for absenteeism, good for traffic jams, sounds ideal, right? Nearly 1 million Dutch people now regularly work from their own familiar home. The percentage of homeworkers is very high, especially in the service sector. Does your company already work from home? Working from home offers many advantages, but is not for everyone. Discipline is necessary so as not to be distracted too much by private matters. And that can be quite difficult! How can you ensure that working from home easier and more effective is becoming?
Working from home and working hours
Stay in bed just a little longer. I think everyone who regularly works from home knows it. Just turn around, because you don't have to travel to work. You can now spend the time you normally spend in traffic jams lying in bed. Delicious! However, to be able to work well from home, routine is important. Your body and mind should not realize that this working day is different from normal, because then it will adapt to the situation.
So just stick to your normal working hours and routine. Not just the times, but also the activities. Keep the same to-do list as normal. Of course, when you work at home, you can handle a number of things very efficiently that might not be possible in a busy office. So work on challenging tasks at home, instead of simple to-do's.
Workplace
Working from home at the kitchen table? Or nice outside? Or just on the couch? Everything is possible! But is it also good for your efficiency...
Having your own workplace, where you cannot be distracted by others, is crucial to working well at home. Many parents combine a working day from home with a mom or dad day. They are then distracted by their child/children for a large part of the day. Of course this is not a problem in itself, but this often makes concentration a problem. By having a real workplace, preferably not in the living room, the chance of successful working from home increases enormously. There are fewer distractions, and in a separate room you have less of the feeling that you are at home in your familiar environment. Of course, also pay attention to your health at your home workplace. A good chair is important, just like exercise. So step away from that computer regularly!
Clothing
Relax behind the computer in your sweatpants or in your dressing gown. Without a doubt one of the main advantages of working from home. In your own familiar living room wearing your comfortable 'home suit', wonderful! And yet it's not smart. By not dressing as you would on a normal working day, you are sending a signal to yourself. A signal that this is not an ordinary working day. Your body and mind will automatically relax more and that will not benefit your concentration. Obviously this won't apply to everyone, so know yourself when it comes to working from home.
Get some rest
Quickly make a sandwich and eat it behind your laptop. Have a drink and snack in between. Many home workers, as strange as it sounds, hardly take a break when they are active at home. However, this is not recommended. It's good to have a few moments in the day where you're not working. So here too, just stick to the routine that you normally have at the office. It also often happens that home workers work far too long, even in the evenings. Try to keep the same working hours as normal. Do you want to take a break? It might be a good idea to take a walk or visit a coffee shop nearby.