Remote working tips and tricks to make working from home easy

During the recent outbreak of COVID-19, the Prime Minister has issued a series of instructions on what we need to do to help prevent further spread of the virus. According to GOV.UK, these precautions include staying at home – only going outside for food, one element of daily exercise and compulsory trips to work. The Prime Minister has also instructed us to socially distance, when completing these outdoor tasks, by staying 2 metres away from anyone we come across and washing hands as soon as we return home.

Because of these strict instructions many of Britain’s workforces – including the team here at InVentry – are actively working from home, to help stop the spread of the virus as well as supporting the NHS and keyworkers. We know remote working can sometimes take time to adjust to, so we’ve created some top tips to help you get through these next few weeks of working from home.

1. Have a designated workspace

Working from home, it can be tempting to just lay on the sofa and work from there. But, let’s be honest, we aren’t going to be super productive working horizontally are we? If you’re in the spare room, or even just the kitchen table, set up somewhere for you to call your workspace. This way you can set up for the day with your computer, phone, stationery, papers and everything else you need.

2. All set up?

Make sure you have everything you need all set up to start the day. This could be ensuring your Wi-Fi is working well, having the necessary files you need for your daily tasks to hand and knowing how to get IT support in case anything goes wrong.

Working from home tips

3. Get yourself ready!

We could all be tempted to set our alarms for 3 minutes before we need to log on, roll out of bed, pyjamas still on and start working. But it’s really not the best way to set yourself up for being super productive throughout the day. Get yourself ready as though you were going into the office, make some breakfast, get changed into something other than your pyjamas and be ready to have a productive day!

4. Write a daily to-do list and done list

Write yourself a daily to-do list so you can keep on top of your priority tasks and keep a structured plan to your day. Once you’ve done them? Write yourself a done list! Not only does this keep you on track of what you’ve done for the day, but it also keeps you prioritising what needs to be done for the rest of the week.

5. Have a structured day

Know when to step away from your desk and call it a day. Keep in line with your normal working hours, this way you will be able to keep productivity at the same level as when you’re in the office. Give yourself regular breaks, working from home can be quite lonely and staying in one room at a time is hard. Make sure you give yourself regular drink and snack breaks too, whether it’s a cup of tea in the kitchen or a call with a family member in the garden – you’ve got to factor them in!

Working from home tips

6. Keep in touch

Be sure to talk to your team members throughout the day. Whether this is work-related or just a general catch up, it’s needed! At times like these, you will miss those ‘water cooler moments’ so chatting to the people you work with can help with that.

Set up daily video conferencing chats too using apps like Microsoft Teams or Zoom, this will help you keep on track of what you need to do throughout the week ahead and give you time to chat through any issues you’re having too.

Working from home tips

7. Family Time

During the current situation and not being able to go out and see people outside of your direct household, it can be a struggle to keep focussed on everything due to worrying about other family members and friends. Make sure you take time throughout the day to have a break and chat with your family members – on the phone. This can break the day up nicely and give you a bit of positivity through such a difficult time.

8. Set boundaries

With the number of people working from home now, it’s likely someone else in your household is in the same situation as you. Make sure you set boundaries. Speak to the other family members in your household, things like “no coming into the spare room whilst I’m on a video conference” or “please don’t come and distract me unless you need me” will help keep your working day as normal as possible.

9. Understand how you work

Take the time to understand how you work best. Working from home can be difficult, especially if you’re transitioning from working in an office. Make sure you know when you’re most productive and when you get the most done, this way you can schedule your breaks around those times you’re getting the least done to give yourself some time away from your screen.

10. Ask for help!

Ask for support when you need it, during times like these we need to be talking to each other to overcome these difficult situations. Your manager’s and wider team members are there to help you so ask if you need more training or support on further issues.

Working from home tips

Most of our team at InVentry are working from home through the outbreak of COVID-19 but we’re still on hand to help. If you have any questions or need some advice on using our products during this time, please don’t hesitate to contact us via info@inventry.co.uk or call the office on 0113 322 9253.