Working from home has never seemed so easy
Thursday 30 April 2020
Who is speaking?
Jo Wood is our Sales Office Manager at The Landmark London. She describes herself being very lucky to have an office which overlooks the back garden, as there are no many airplanes flying at the moment, it is lovely to have the window open and listen to the birds. Her favorite hobby after work is watching her 2 teenage boys playing football.
If Jo had to describe The Landmark London in three words they would be: rewarding, supportive & flexible.
“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.”
Dale Carnegie
We have been very spoilt over the past few weeks with the wonderful weather so what really puts a spring into my step is a wonderful walk around the lovely countryside where I live, even if it is a 3K walk or at the most an 8K walk (because I got lost) really sets you me up for the day. A lot of us are working from home for the first time and hopefully these tips will assist you in getting both your work done and for your well-being.
Get Dressed
Very tempting to stay in your pyjamas all day, but I can assure you, you will feel so much better getting dressed. You do not need to dress in your work attire, but simply putting on a pair of jeans or comfortable clothes will make you feel motivated and ready for the day. I also like to make sure my hair and make up is done as in some circumstances, you do not know if you will be required to take part in a video call which could be very embarrassing if you are sitting there in your nightwear!!
Designate a Workspace or Home Office
One of the biggest challenges can be keeping your work and home lives separate – it can be very hard to adjust if you have never worked from home before and if possible try to designate a separate working area. Your workspace does not have to be a room on its own but a corner in the kitchen or living room. Try to make your workspace comfortable and if possible good natural lighting which will help. At the end of the day ensure you leave your workspace until the next day, don’t be tempted to go back later on in the evening when you should be relaxing.
Get your timing right
Just as you designate and separate your physical workspace, you should be clear about when you’re working and when you’re not. You’ll get your best work done and be most ready to transition back to the office if you stick with your regular hours. In this lock-down it is very hard if you are living with other people especially children and between yourself and your partner/family you can set up designated working hours to ensure the rest of the family are looked after and establish boundaries if need be.
Try to stay away from the news
Distraction is one of the biggest challenges facing people who work from home—especially people who aren’t used to it.
It is very important to take breaks throughout the day, but try not to watch or listen to the news on all breaks as it can be very off putting – Listening to the updates on COCID-19 at the moment will be at the front of your mind, it is good to stay informed but you do not want this to be on your mind for the rest of the day.
Stay in touch
If you don’t usually work from home, you will experience some complications along the way, whether it be an IT issue, or a problem at work. It is very important to stay in touch with your manager /colleagues so that you know what their expectations are of you and vice versa.
Be a social bee
Last but not least, it is very important to socialise, I am very new to Skype, Zoom and Houseparty but have really enjoyed over the past few weeks chatting with my friends and work colleagues – really look forward to my weekly Thursday night chats with two of my friends over a glass or two of wine and every Friday at 5.30 p.m. with my work colleagues and we have now introduced a quiz night which is great fun, even though I really need to brush up on my general knowledge.
