The connotations of working from home have drastically changed over the years. While once a luxury, it became a necessity and today it’s part and parcel of standard working life.
Like many of us, I work a hybrid working week, splitting my time between the office and my home office. While I savour the time I get to spend with workmates around shared desks and meeting rooms, there is something comforting about spending the day working from home.
The biggest problem with working from home though, is that it’s very easy to lose focus. You can quickly throw on a wash, make another cup of tea, or have a quick break in front of the telly.
Keeping your focus at home certainly requires more discipline than it might in the office but with a little organisation you plan your time and work even more effectively. Here are a few simple ways to supercharge your set-up.
1. Create a dedicated workspace
When it comes to where you work at home, it can be anywhere from your kitchen table to a home office. The important thing is that you have a set space that you use every time, so that it becomes somewhere that you can associate with working.
Once you’re sat at you’re desk, or table, you can switch into work mode. That also means that when you get up, or leave that room, work is over. Whether you have a small or large space it’s important to
2. Optimise your internet connection
If there’s one thing that will kill your concentration when working from home, it’s a dodgy internet connection. Stuttery video calls and spinning wheels in the browser will raise your stress levels, and if it drops out altogether there’s nothing more to do than take a break.
A solid fibre broadband connection will allow you the fast speeds you need to keep those conference calls in HD and those emails flowing. Even if you’ve got kids or partners in the house competing for that bandwidth, there’s a way to ensure you take precedence.
EE’s Smart Hub Plus includes a Work mode that will prioritise those business applications. There’s also a Game mode that will allow you to prioritise that once work is over. You can also set which devices can access the internet, and which can’t – so if the kids are still connected after their bedtime, you can cut the internet for their devices.
3. Set a schedule
It’s really easy when you’re working from home to drift away from your normal working hours. Without having to worry about the commute, you can be at your desk early and keep working far longer than you would do if you had to sit in traffic.
To avoid over (or under) working, stick to your regular office hours. Make sure you’re at your home desk at the same time every day that you would be in the office. Take your lunch break away from your desk, and when the clock hits home time, turn off that laptop and move away from that workspace. It’s a hard rule to follow but is a really important one.
4. Second your smart speakers
Smart speakers are extremely handy for those working from home. I always have one close to my desk – though to be honest, I have one in every room. Not only are they are great way to listen to music while you work – whether it’s internet radio, streaming music or a playlist from your phone – but you can use them for a range of notifications.
One of the best uses for a smart speaker is for timers and alarms. Use it to set timers throughout the day, to start work, to stop work and to signal screen breaks. That way, you don’t need to keep checking your phone. If you have your smart speaker connected to a video doorbell or camera, it can alert you if there’s a package or person at your door. The voice assistants are also good for those questions you’d normally ask your teammates. What is another word for collaboration?
5. Productivity through peace of mind
The most important thing to make sure your working-from-home time is productive is to create a sense of calm. If you’re already stressed before you even sit down, you’re never going to get anything done, and certainly not in an effective way.
With all of the things above in place, you should find yourself ready to work, with the right workspace, reliable internet and smart speakers giving you not only great tunes but also a banging schedule. That really is working smarter.
For more on powering your home working, visit ee.co.uk/work
