Most of us have had to adapt to home working over the past year without much experience of doing so before.
As well as saving time each day on the local commute, it has also been estimated that workers in the UK have managed to save over £600 million over lockdown, according to this research.
However, for some people, it means less social interaction and more distractions at home. Some people are bursting to get back to the sound of their colleagues and office banter.
Here are five office workers and business owers on how they’ve managed to stay motivated throughout their process of remote working:
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1. Emma Hull, Senior PR Executive at Foundation:
“Make sure you shut-down at your normal logging off time. It’s so easy to work later than normal, or log in in the evenings if you forgot to do something in the day but it’s important that you give your body a rest away from the screen and work. If you’re working later than normal, the chances are is that you’re going to soon get fed up and feel overworked.”
2. Leaha James, Head of Contact Centre Services at Connect Assist:
“Add a desk in a room that’s separate to where you relax. This will help keep the distractions away while you’re trying to work, but also stop work emails and unfinished tasks that can wait until the next day from seeping into your downtime.”
3. Scott Jones, Managing Director of Illustrate Digital:
“It’s really important that you keep a very clear line between your work time, and your relaxing time so that you can actually log off and put your feet up without work getting in the way.
A good chair really helps keeping the strain from your back, neck and eyes, so this will help ensure that you’re ready for a day’s work in full comfort, which really does help with motivation and concentration.”
4. Bella Adams, Head of Operations at Aura Ads:
“Make sure you get changed out of your pyjamas and into something that’s more appropriate for the working day, even if it’s just a pair of leggings or joggers. Waking up and turning my laptop on without showering or getting changed makes me feel a lot more mopey, and I’d just want to snuggle up on the sofa and watch a film.
Even if you just change your tshirt and brush your hair – at least you’ll be ready for any surprise Teams calls that day!”
5. Jade Thomas, Office Manager at Pure Property Finance:
“Taking lunch away from your screen really helps, including your TV and your phone. This helps with productivity levels in the afternoon, and it helps me get away from the ‘afternoon slump’ that I sometimes feel if I were to work through lunch or spend my lunch catching up with TV. Some suggestions include taking a half-hour walk, making a nice lunch, doing a bit of housework or even reading a book.”
