10 Highly Effective ‘Work From Home’ Hacks

A short and sharp guide to working remotely

As COVID-19 continues to impact the world, many organisations are implementing social distancing and transitioning into work-from-home (WFH) mode. While working remotely is easier than ever before, it’s likely we’ll experience some teething problems during the transition.

At Orange Digital, we’ve now transitioned into working remotely, and decided to pull together our combined WFH hacks to keep those productivity and motivation levels up.

1. Maintain a normal ‘off to work’ routine

It’s easy to want to roll out of bed and stumble to your computer in your PJs but this is a no-no. Set your regular work alarm, do your morning exercise routine, have a shower, brush your teeth and change out of those PJs so that your mind recognises that you’re switching into work mode. The only thing different is that you don’t have to start your commute to work — take this time to have a coffee and brekky and get ready to start your day. You know we love a good brekky here at Orange!

2. Get out your stationery — it’s to-do list time

If you’re anything like our Marketing team, they go crazy over any excuse to use stationery. Before you get into your day, set yourself some clear goals with achievable deliverables so you get that sense of fulfilment as you tick things off your list. Highlight it, put a line through it — do whatever makes you feel accomplished for getting that task done.

Or, if you’re someone who gets your tasks scheduled in advance, take this time to look over your briefs to understand your priorities for that day. This is a good opportunity to make note of any roadblocks or questions you may have for your team during your daily check-ins. It’s also a good idea to share your daily to-do list with your team as a way of keeping yourself accountable for the goals you set yourself that day.

3. Set up a work station that isn’t your bed

Yes, for some it’s so tempting to sit on your bed and scatter your paperwork all around you (flashback to Uni days anyone?)… but avoid this at all costs. Find a spot in your house with a bench or tabletop, whether that’s your study, kitchen bench or your back deck and make this your work zone. This needs to be a comfortable place, ideally without distractions, that you treat as your new office.

4. Stay connected with your team

Let’s be honest, humans are social beings and the loss of face-to-face interactions can affect our mental well-being and performance outcomes. At Orange, we’re now using video calls to connect with each other for all internal and external meetings — Zoom and Tandem are our preferred software. We’ve scheduled video call check-ins with our teams twice a day (first up in the morning and straight after lunch) as a way to discuss our daily goals, give a progress update and also share any feelings or concerns about our current state.

These regular check-ins are the best way to support each other during these uncertain times and also provide some additional (often much needed) structure to our remote work situation.

5. Multiple screens are a lifesaver

If possible, get a second or third monitor for your remote setup. Having 1,000 tabs and browsers open on your laptop screen is tricky to navigate and can often leave you feeling a little overwhelmed! Also, unless you have your laptop propped up at eye height, you’ll find your posture will end up hunched over after a while. Having multiple screens is your productivity saviour and your back will thank you at the end of the day.

6. Collaborative software for the win

Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides (basically the entire Google Suite) are our besties during this time. These tools are a great way to get all hands on deck to complete briefs and collaborate on content writing or reports.

We also love using Slack for quick updates and file sharing between team members. Our team are pretty quick to whip up custom emoji’s on Slack which has been a great way to keep the mood light and react to group comms in a fun way.

7. Take breaks away from screens!

It’s so important to get up, stretch your legs and step away from your computer screen during the day. And no, that doesn’t mean you jump on your phone to scroll through Instagram or check the latest news updates. Give your brain and eyes regular little breaks by making yourself a tea and enjoying it in the sunshine (Vitamin D also boosts your immune system — winning!). If you have a pet, go give them some love or even take them for a walk — it’s a sure way to boost your mood and change your headspace so you’re feeling refreshed when you get back to your computer.

Our hack for making sure you take breaks is setting reminders on your phone so that you can’t ignore when that alarm goes off.

8. Avoid countless trips to the fridge…

When you’re feeling a bit snacky or in need of a break we are all guilty of heading straight to the fridge. Unfortunately, new food options don’t appear every time we open the fridge or pantry, no matter how much we continue to hope this is the case. We suggest preparing some healthy snacks the night before so that you don’t reach for that chocolate bar or cookie if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed. You can also keep these snacks at your workspace to try and avoid the back and forth trips to the kitchen.

9. Stop checking the news every 5 seconds

Please avoid a news spiral! Constantly checking news sites, social media or updates from the WHO will likely put you in a bit of a headspin and can also be a big distraction. While it’s important to keep up to date with the latest news, we suggest booking time slots in your calendar for you to catch up on COVID-19 updates. This rule of thumb also applies for your inbox — We try to check our emails at the start of the day and then again in the afternoon. Usually, if anything urgent pops up, your colleagues or clients are likely to give you a call.

10. Find an hour for exercise

Finally, our tenth WFH hack is to combat stress or that dreaded overwhelmed feeling by getting those endorphins flowing! As gyms and yoga studios enforce temporary closures, this is a great opportunity for you to leverage the massive amounts of free exercise classes that are available online. Or if you need an excuse to get some of that wonderful Vitamin D and fresh air, take some time to go for a run or walk your dog to clear your head.

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We hope that these 10 tips can help you with your transition into effective and productive WFH mode. Please stay safe and continue to also keep up good hygiene practice, even if you are working from home.

Originally published at https://www.orangedigital.com.au.