How to improve your work from home experience

While working from home may be challenging, it does have some perks. For starters, lack of travel has saved US workers the equivalent of 44.5 million full workdays in the past year alone! It’s never been easier to save time, but it’s also becoming increasingly difficult to protect and maximise it. 

So how can we improve our remote working experience? We’ve rounded up a few strategies to help you feel more productive, satisfied and happier at home.

Re-create the commute

Hear us out – this idea isn’t as crazy as it may seem. After all, many freelancers decide to work from home to avoid their daily commute. But it turns out that daily rituals before and after your working day can help to solidify your work-life boundaries. Those same rituals can be recreated even if you’re not leaving the house. Perhaps it’s listening to music or news on the radio. Maybe it’s catching up with today’s new headlines before you get to your desk. Or it could even be a quick walk with a coffee to go. It might feel like you’re going through the motions, but research shows it’s good for your body and mind.

Structure your day

Zoom fatigue has been widely acknowledged over the past year, with many companies starting to cut back on the amount of virtual meetings. Instead of booking up your time with meetings, schedule your activities into your online calendar. Personal events and reminders are a great way to remind yourself to shift gears and start new tasks over the course of the day.

Take care of yourself

When you’re working from the office, you probably have an ergonomic chair or an adjustable workstation. So why force yourself to work from the kitchen table or sofa when you’re at home? We’re not suggesting that you need to invest in a whole new set up, but maybe you do need to become more aware of how your posture is affecting your work. The good thing about working from home is that you can regularly change your position. Try sitting at the table, standing at your breakfast bar, or even using an exercise ball as a chair. By testing out different options, you’ll soon find what works best for you – and when your body is ready for a change.

Reclaim social interactions

Research shows that short social interactions can make all the difference to your wellbeing and productivity levels. It doesn’t have to be a lot either – just 10 to 20 minutes can be enough to give you a boost. So try calling a friend after you’ve finished work, go for a walk with your partner, volunteer in your evenings or meet someone new at an exercise class. Or, if you’re looking for more constant social interactions, you could consider joining a local co-working space to use as your new office.

Many Dweet community members are also used to working from home and prioritising their work across multiple projects. Why not join our Slack community to bounce ideas off each other and embrace this new way of working?