Remote working took the world by storm during the pandemic, and rates of home working in the UK continue to be high, particularly in tech. ONS statistics show that, between September 2022 and January 2023, 16% of workers worked fully from home. A further 28% worked from home and at work equally.
While remote workers have been found to be around 7% more productive than in-office workers, working from home can be tough. You need to be able to create a good working environment, but how? To help you boost your productivity and give your boss a reason not to order you back to the office, here are five great hacks.
Connectivity
A good internet connection is the most important thing to get right when working from home. Ensure that you have reliable Wi-Fi and can access company systems securely. Consider a virtual private network too. What to do with a VPN? Well, it can secure your identity online, also boost your network speed by going around connection throttling by your internet service provider.
Posture
Coding can be done anywhere and it can be tempting to work slumped on the sofa but doing this day in and day out can cause long-term damage to your posture. To stop your back from bearing the brunt, get a good office chair and desk. You should be able to sit upright yet supported. Your feet should be flat on the ground, and your elbows should be comfortably by your side when typing.
Work-life balance
Remote working can blur the lines between everyday life and work. Maintaining a good balance for mental health is important, so turn off your laptop at the end of the day. Fight the urge to work beyond your contracted hours. And don’t check your emails or texts when not working.
Relationships
Working from home can be challenging to build relationships with colleagues. There are plenty of ways to do this virtually.
First, don’t just leap into business straight away on calls. Ask what people have been up to, how they are, and try to get to know them better. Introduce your pets. Keep an eye on the intranet and celebrate birthdays when they occur. And cycle through meeting hosts so everyone can talk more than others.
Surroundings
One of the most sure-fire ways to sap your productivity when working at home is having messy, non-professional surroundings. Make sure your working area is free from junk and clutter, and your thoughts will be clearer.
Consider moving your work to a dedicated room like a home office. Or at least give yourself a nook where you can set up shop. Working in locations that you associate with relaxing (like the sofa) won’t do your productivity any favours.
Do you work from home? What do you do to keep productivity levels high?
