Since the first lockdown back in 2020, almost half of the UK’s workforce have been working from home, turning their bedrooms into conference rooms and their kitchens into canteens.
Although many of us will be gradually returning to work once the 19th of July comes around, most of us will be working a hybrid of office and home hours. With perhaps a quite abrupt change for many, here at TC, we’ve put together a list of our top tips for improving your working environment at home and back in the office.
At home:
Set yourself specific work hours
One of the key benefits of working from home is the flexibility you have to plan your day the way you want to. Although you may find you have a little more freedom when it comes to when you want to take your lunch break, and what you can do with that time, setting specific working hours will help to keep you in a routine.
Getting yourself dressed
Getting ready every morning is perhaps the easiest way to keep your routine structured. By getting out of the habit of hoodies and joggers and into a routine of wearing t-shirts and trousers, we’ll start to create a more productive environment. Set yourself a routine that you can stick to on a daily basis. Get up, get showered, get dressed, then get to your desk with your coffee made exactly how you like it.
Create a designated and productive workspace
Creating a productive workspace doesn’t have to be difficult. The focus should be on having separate areas for work and downtime, so you can unplug from work when you’re done for the day and leave it behind. A dedicated desk or room that you call your office is ideal, but for those who don’t have the space or luxury to do that, why not use a kitchen table or the empty corners in your bedroom? For small compact spaces, why not look into getting a fold-out desk, easily hidden when the workday is finished, or even a console table that can double up as a desk and a TV unit.
Eat away from your desk
Although you may have the urge to eat your lunch right there at your desk so that you can keep an eye on your workload, making time to step away and leave your work behind, even if it's for an hour or just fifteen minutes is a good way to give your mind a rest and have a bit of time to yourself.
Get some fresh air
In addition to taking a lunch break away from your desk, try also taking short bursts away from your work. Fresh air is crucial for our physical and mental wellbeing. Whether you just go out of the room to rehydrate, or fancy a walk around the garden, this will help to improve your focus and productivity when you return to your work. Maybe try to switch up your routine a little and go for a morning run before work begins or a quick walk during lunch to enjoy the daylight and relax.
At work
Mingle and make conversation with others
Getting yourself dressed and ready in the morning when you know you’re going into the office may not be so challenging but mingling with others and collaborating on projects in person might be. Unlike your home office where you probably don’t partake in that many conversations, except telling your cat to ‘get off my keyboard!’ again, get ready to start conversing with others. Although these conversations will most likely be work related, try to also make conversation about life in general to break up the day, and get you back into the feeling of being social.
Take your breaks
Just because you’re reverting back towards office life, whether it be one or two times a week, or every day, doesn’t mean you have to revert back to your office ways. Just like you’ve been doing at home, take a break from your work for a while. Take a walk around your office or go outside and enjoy some fresh air.
East away from your desk
Just like you would at home, try if you can to eat away from your desk. Whether that be taking yourself off to the canteen or staff room, or going outside to eat, give yourself that much needed break from your work.
By keeping to these tips, you’ll not only be improving your productivity and focus, but you’ll also be improving your well-being, separating yourself from the work once the day is done.
Source: Emily Hannan TC Group