working from home or home from working?

I’m no stranger to working from home. Both of my parents spent a great deal of my teenage years either working from home or travelling. When I graduated and got my first “proper” full-time job, everything was cloud-based and didn’t always require a physical presence so I, too, joined the club. Bank Holidays, Tuesdays and (sometimes) Fridays meant an 8am lie-in and a dog on my lap while talking to customers.

I was lucky. I had grown up with this being almost the norm, and we had both an indoor study and a garden office to use. Not only did I have a work-like environment to help focus my mind, but if I got bored of it after a few days and needed a fresh space to use, I could switch.

At the moment, however, I am taking turns with my housemate to use the dining room table, meaning at least 2 days a week I am working from the bedroom I currently share with my fella. It becomes easier to see why I miss my parents’ house and their lovely little offices.

So, since working conditions aren’t as ideal as they can be, I’ve had to get creative and make sure I stick to my own #WFH tips, as well as taking on board the floods of wonderful suggestions the socials are pumping out at the moment.

Here’s my two cents on working from home:

1. Structure your day (and stick to it!) – If you’re anything like me, you might find it super easy to get super lost when the structure of an office-based working day is taken away from you. The solution? Create your own. Sure, your routine might be slightly different now you don’t have to wake up at 5:45 to catch public transport, or because you can eat your lunch at 11am (no judgements, please) but that doesn’t mean it has to be unstructured. Plan your day as you would any other, and stick to that plan for your working days. Wake up at the same time, schedule your breaks, eat at (roughly*) the same time.

2. Ditch the dressing gown – Now, I might be being a little hypocritical here. I’m currently sat in my dressing gown, but only because my living room is chilly. I’m wearing clothes underneath. But, seriously, ditch it. Wake up in the morning, shower (or don’t, who’s going to know, really?), and get some damn clothes on. You can leave the lipstick and Louboutins in the bedroom, but underwear and clothes (that you wouldn’t sleep in) are essential.

3. Find your space (if you can) – I’m currently set up on my dining room table, with a notebook to my left and paperwork to my right; the only real difference to my work-desk is that I’m using a laptop and a mobile instead of a monitor and a landline. Sure, I can’t do this every day, but those of you that live alone or have a desk in your room really have no excuse. If you’re like me and are stuck working from bed for a few days, just treat it as closely to a desk as possible. My layout is still the same, and I always try to sit up with the laptop in front of me (propped up on a couple of pillows).

4. Distractions – Some are good, some are bad. It’s a tough time at the moment. There’s a tonne of uncertainty surrounding pretty much everything and a lot of people are anxious. Find your positive distractions… but save them for your breaks. Mindlessly watching a trash series on Netflix may well stop you over-worrying about the world, but it won’t help you get that report written. Music depends on your level of discipline and what you’re listening to: classical music or music I don’t know has always been my go-to for work or revision, since I don’t work as well in silence. Maybe your favourite Beyoncé track will get you pumped for the day, but is singing all the words going to distract you from the email you’re typing? That one’s really your call. What I will say is try to mirror your working environment (unless, of course, you hate your office). If the radio is usually on in work, put it on at home, etc.

5. Get the hell outside – Admittedly, I’m writing this from Dubai, where the idea of taking a short break outside is far more appealing, but that doesn’t make it impossible elsewhere. Sure, you may not have a balcony and 30° heat to entice you outside, but I promise you that you’ll feel so much better for getting that fresh air, whatever the weather. Those of you reading this in the UAE, get some sun. That Vitamin D will do you the world of good.

6. Multitask – Okay, this one’s a bit of a wildcard, and totally depends on personal preference, but one of the things that really motivates me while I’m at home is the idea that I’ve gained time. No longer am I restricted to a few hours in the evening to get stuff done. Empty the dishwasher while you’re on hold, hang up your washing while you’re inevitably waiting for your wifi to reconnect, start preparing dinner in one of your breaks (read: sit on the balcony for ten mins and scroll through Deliveroo). This one isn’t for everyone, as it can be hard to get distracted if you’re not disciplined enough, but it may help.

7. Talk to people – Alright, don’t FaceTime all your relatives just because you can (sorry, grandparents, try me at 5:30) but do make sure you’re still interacting with other human beings. If, like my job, you work closely with a partner or manager in the office, then get them on the phone. My team has a daily morning video call with our manager, and that really helps to get the day started and still feel “normal”. Sure, you can probably get most of it done over email, but phone calls are easier, more efficient and, most importantly, will keep you from going stir-crazy. If you or your colleagues can’t be on the phone for whatever reason, voice notes are a great alternative. Make sure you’re not just hearing your own voice all day (and no, Beyoncé doesn’t count).

8. Do something new – This one is more for outside of working hours. Presumably, if you’re now at home, you’re saving yourself at least an hour a day because you’re not commuting etc. If you’ve an hour’s commute each way like myself (and it takes you 30 mins to dry your hair), you’re easily gaining 3 hours a day. Do something with them! Sure, you could use it to do more work, and some days I do, but not every day. A few days this week I’ve chosen to broaden my culinary horizons (read: learn how to cook basic meals). My boyfriend is still in the office but works much closer, meaning we can now eat together and do it at a reasonable hour. Maybe you always wanted to learn French? Or knit? Or do the splits? Great news, you’ve now got time – and no excuses – to start.

9. Look after yourself – This one’s short and sweet: be kind to yourself. It can be easy to feel a little useless and frustrated if you can’t always do 100% of your job from home. It can also be easy to slip into a bad sleeping pattern, or bad eating habits. Remember that your days should be like every other weekday – make sure you’re well rested and as healthy as can be. If you usually exercise in the evenings, keep it up – you just might have to do it in your living room. As far as the frustration goes, remember that you’re doing the best you can in a situation that is miles out of your control. Take a breath.

10. Have some fun – Yeah, alright, you still need to be working and staying productive, but you’ve free reign over your days right now (that’s not a license to drop your structure, though). If you need to spend 15 minutes each morning dancing around your living room to hype yourself up, do it. If you want to kick a ball around your living room while you’re on the phone, go for it. You may be back in the office soon, enjoy the privacy.

The main thing to focus on is yourself. You (should) know how you work best, and what environments you thrive in. If the idea of working from home daunts you, ask yourself why and address each point individually. Realistically, as long as you get your work done it doesn’t really matter if you’ve been wearing a dressing gown all day or not, just make sure you’re wearing pants in case your Deliveroo comes early.