Since COVID-19 gripped our country, we have almost all been working from home. Probably never have so many of us worked from home as we do now.
The ‘new way of working’ leads to creativity and innovativeness ‘on the work floor’; in other words, at home. Online meeting rooms have now been set up and (almost) everyone knows how to find the button to mute the microphone or turn on the webcam.
At Fynch, we hope this is the beginning of a “paradigm shift”: let’s continue to work from home more often in the future than we did before.
Advantages of the ‘new’ working from home
In fact, working from home has quite a few advantages. According to HR Practice, 92% of home workers put in as much or even more work compared to how much they do in the office.
In addition, home workers are less likely to call in sick, they enjoy the flexibility around arranging the day (there is less of that feeling of being in a rut) and (travel) time is saved.
In addition, we can (partially) spare the road network and public transportation when more people work from home.
This saves time and money, makes it safer on the road, and is good for the environment. Four important reasons to still consider working from home more often, even after the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s why we’d like to help you get started to ensure that you too can work efficiently and enjoyably from home.
Tip 1: Create a nice workspace
An important first step is to find a workspace. If you have children playing in the living room and you are going to work there, you will be distracted a lot.
Even in places where you do mostly fun things, you will not be able to work with as much concentration.
Do you happen to have a desk in your home? Or can you (temporarily) put an extra table in a quiet room? Then make that your workspace. Then you can just “go to the office” every day.
In addition, make sure you also have a nice chair and, if you work on a laptop, a separate keyboard and mouse, where your laptop is slightly higher. This way you can stay in a good posture and you won’t get complaints from your back and neck.
Tip 2: Planning
Children are told it almost daily at school these days, and often they are even taught it: planning. Decide what you are going to do in your day and when.
This way you can set your tasks in small goals and you can get energy from tasks you have completed. And don’t forget to plan your breaks as well, because they are just as important on a home office day as otherwise.
Tip 3: Get moving
Many people secretly move more than they think during a normal office day: the bike ride to work/station, a walk during the break or that little walk to the coffee machine on the other side of the hall.
Keep doing that at home too. Use your travel time now for a morning walk or a workout. And when you call, walk around the house.
Tip 4: Keep your routine
It is tempting to stay on the couch just a little longer in the evening or in bed a little longer in the morning. However, don’t give up on that!
Go to bed at your usual times, get up at fixed times, have lunch around noon and at the end of your working day, turn off your computer and put your work phone on silent. Then it’s time for yourself.
Tip 5: Maintain contact with your colleagues
Colleagues make your day more fun (if you’re lucky) and ensure that you are more motivated to do your job. Sometimes it’s just nice to have contact with them.
So just give them a call to chat. And who knows, from that pleasant bell, a creative idea will suddenly come out.
We wish everyone good luck with working from home! Let’s try to achieve something beautiful even in this difficult COVID-19 pandemic. And who knows, after the COVID-19 pandemic you will be rewarded with the Fynch platform for your choice to work from home!
