Tom's Top Tips For Working From Home

News at Kings Estates | 31/03/2020


Tom's Top Tips For Working From Home 

Here are my top tips to stay efficient and keep your spirits up when working from home during these difficult times.



1) Build a Permanent Workspace
Regardless of space or location, establish an area of your home where you will work, and commit to working in this space every day. Be sure your workspace is quiet so you can focus on the task at hand.

2) Set Real Work Hours
Regardless of your schedule, be sure to establish set work hours to follow each day. Communicate your work schedule to co-workers, teams, and your boss.

3) Avoid Work Creep
At the end of the day, shut down your laptop, set your work app to “away,” and shut your office door. You (and your team) will be grateful.

4) Discover Your High Productivity Periods
Every individual is most productive at different times of the day. For example, some individuals are morning people, and they are most productive and focused during the morning hours. For others, their most productive time in the workday is the evenings.  Discover when you are most productive and build your work schedule around your peak productivity periods.

5) Update Your To-Do List Every Mornings
Stay on task by quickly writing down all the things that need to get done at the start of each day.  Set goals and time limits for each task. After you complete each task, cross it off the list. This simple technique is both effective and fulfilling.

6) Use a Diary/Planner
Use a planner like Trello to log all tasks and activities, no matter if you work remotely or in the office. Plan the work and work the plan.

7) Don’t Work in Your PJs
Beyond psychologically getting you in the right mindset for work, you’ll be ready to handle any kind of video chat or check-in with a teammate. You’ll be prepared to get work done, and you will be mentally and physically prepared for the day.

8) Don’t Work in the Living Room
Avoid the TV and other digital distractions so you can focus on your work and getting things done. However, if used just for background noise, it’s probably okay.

9) Develop a Morning Routine
Get up early, take a shower, make your coffee and breakfast, and prepare your lunch, just like you have to leave the house.

10) Exercise & Stretch Regularly
Exercise naturally boosts endorphins, which increases happiness, enjoyment, and interest levels, all of which are important for productivity.  Regularly stretching helps you maintain great posture. At a minimum, stretch throughout the day so you don’t get sore or hinder your quality of life.  If your day allows, take a lunch break and go for a walk, go to the gym, or stretch.

11) Eat Healthy Meals & Snacks
Research shows that eating fruits and vegetables has a direct link on overall productivity levels. You can also avoid buying unhealthy snacks altogether. With extra planning, you can purchase more nutritional snacks on Amazon rather than buying on impulse.  Reward yourself with a sweet snack on Friday after a successful and productive week.

12) Take Short Breaks
Research has shown that taking short breaks can actually increase productivity and creativity levels. Add five-minute breaks into your daily schedule, or even make them a part of your rewards system.

13) Create a Rewards System
This is an easy way to help you get things done — even the things you have been procrastinating or putting off.  Although it seems simple, using a basic rewards system will help you get things done and also feel fulfilled.

14) Stay Off Social Media
Minimizing mindless use of social media helps avoid distractions, so you can focus on getting more done.

15) Listen to Music
Listen to music throughout the day at a modest volume to give you the focus you need. Check out the different “moods” offered by Spotify to achieve peak productivity while working from home.

16) Step Outside
Boost creativity and productivity by stepping outside a few times throughout the day. Even just for a few minutes, it’s better than being stuck indoors.

17) Use Video Chat
Yes, the video conference—the hallmark of remote work. Working from home can get pretty lonely, especially if you are single or live alone. Make it a point to chat with colleagues, team members, or clients each day. We have been using Zoom!
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18) Avoid Family, Friends & Pets
Set and stick to specific work hours and communicate those hours clearly with your family and friends.

19) Create a Vision Board
Create a vision board with goals and aspirations personally and professionally and look at it every day. Working at home should get you closer to those goals.

20) Check in With Co-Workers Frequently
Make remote employees feel valued and included through live video meetings and conference calls regularly.

21) Assume Positive Intent
Focus on the facts and assume positive intent where it might not otherwise be seen. Use emoji and emoticons to convey emotions with your team.

22) Invest in a Good Pair of Headphones
Look for headset features such as long battery life, Bluetooth compatibility, microphone, and noise cancelling. These all work together to make your remote working duties a little easier.

23) Stay Vigilant Against Security Risks
Don’t slack off on your duty to keep your home office equipment secure. Understand how to protect yourself from common security threats.

24) Use Professional Communication Tools
Choose the right communication platform to help your team work remotely instead of a myriad of chat apps and a spreadsheet of cell phone numbers.

I hope these tips help with your work life and also help you to stay safe.

#STAYATHOME

Stay Safe from Tom & The Kings Estates Team (and our furry friends)