50 Working From Home Tips From The Experts
The year 2020 will go down in history as the year remote work and working from home became the norm and not the rare exception. And, it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.
To help you up your working from home (#wfh) game over the next year, we have scoured the web and come up with a huge, curated list of advice and tips from experts, companies, publications, and blogs located all over the world, including:
General Tips and Tricks
Scrum.org, Google, HubSpot, Time, The Star, Forbes, Entrepreneur, SalesForce, PCMag, Social Media Today, Readers Digest Canada, Business Journal, Shopify, MasterClassFor Agile Teams and Team Leaders
AtlassianWorking From Home With Kids
Buffer, ForbesAdvice From CEOs and Founders
Harper’s Bazaar
Working from home isn’t easy, and it is a huge adjustment if it’s something you haven’t done before this year. Whether you are looking for general tips, tips from the perspective of a team lead, or some inspiration for tackling remote work with kids at home, you will find something in this post to inspire you.
General tips and tricks for working from home
Tips from Scrum.Org
1. Build a “work from home” morning routine
Use the same routine as you would if you were preparing to go to the office. This way your brain gets a clear signal that it is now the time to focus and start working.
2. Create a work environment at home
“Create a place which is clearly associated with work—remove anything that is associated with fun, relaxation, and pleasure from your line of sight. Use your company laptop even if you have a VPN or a remote desktop. When you open and close it, you give your mind a clear sign of starting and stopping work. When you work with [your] own laptop, create a separate desktop with a different background for work. Or, at least close all unnecessary applications and windows.”
3. Create a “state of flow”
There is no better feeling than getting into a flow state when doing creative work, but it is not easy to get there — especially if you are faced with constant distractions. In order to get into a productive groove, you need to create an environment that will help.
“Let others know that you need time to focus. When you are in the state, work on the task until you finish it. If you keep breaking the state, the total time spent [on it] will grow. Of course, this can influence your plan of the day, so you should adapt. Mark your progress by striking the items on a to-do list, moving post-its on your desk, moving virtual post it on a virtual board. When your brain sees the progress, you will have the motivation to work further. At the end of the workday review your work, the plan, and do a quick retrospective. Make notes for tomorrow and close your laptop.”
Source: https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/remote-work-how-work-home-efficiently
Tips from Google
4. Create “work” triggers for your brain
“When you work in an office, the daily routine of getting ready and commuting helps your brain get ready for the day. When you’re working remotely, you can create “start the day” triggers that get your head ready for work in a similar way, like exercising, reading the news, or making coffee.”
5. Make a schedule for everything
“Remote work requires a schedule much like a typical office job, except you’re the only one holding yourself accountable. That doesn’t mean your entire day has to be work only (it’s actually important to take regular breaks to refresh yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally), just that any non-work activities also need to be scheduled. When creating your schedule, take into account the other commitments in your life, and find a routine that lets you take care of those as well. If you have a child, build their care into your schedule. If you play sports or volunteer, schedule time to get work done before or after these activities.”
Source: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-ca/work-from-home-tips
Tips from HubSpot
6. Get started early
“When working in an office, your morning commute can help you wake up and feel ready to work by the time you get to your desk. At home, however, the transition from your pillow to your computer can be much more jarring. Believe it or not, one way to work from home productively is to dive into your to-do list as soon as you wake up. Simply getting a project started first thing in the morning can be the key to making progress on it gradually throughout the day. Otherwise, you'll prolong breakfast and let the morning sluggishness wear away your motivation.”
7. Make it harder for yourself to mess around on social media
“Social media is designed to make it easy for you to open and browse quickly. At work, though, this convenience can be the detriment of your productivity. To counteract your social networks' ease of use during work hours, remove them from your browser shortcuts, and/or log out of every account. You might even consider working primarily in a private browser window. This ensures you stay signed out of all your accounts and each web search you conduct doesn't autocomplete the word you're typing. It's a guarantee that you won't be tempted into taking too many social breaks during the day.”
8. Work when you’re most productive
“To capitalize on your most productive periods, save your harder tasks for when you know you'll be in the right headspace for them. Use slower points of the day to knock out the easier, logistical tasks that are also on your plate. Verily Magazine calls these tasks "small acts of success," and they can help build your momentum for the heavier projects that are waiting for you later on.”
9. Match your music to the task at hand
“During the week, music is the soundtrack to your career (cheesy, but admit it, it's true). And at work, the best playlists are diverse playlists — you can listen to music that matches the energy of the project you're working on. Video game soundtracks are excellent at this. In the game itself, this lyric-free music is designed to help you focus; it only makes sense that it would help you focus on your work as well.”
Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/productivity-tips-working-from-home
Tips from Time
10. Find a buddy
“You might find it easier to be productive without your most chatty coworkers constantly buzzing in your ear. But social interactions — even with coworkers — can alleviate feelings of isolation and loneliness. Durham University’s Dr. Thuy-vy Nguyen, who studies the effects of solitude, thinks the psychological effects of working remotely for extended periods is often overlooked or ignored, despite it being an essential factor in our mental well-being and team bonding.”
11. Think about how you’re communicating
Digital tools can replicate the in-person office experience and help you have a space to clearly communicate.
12. Remember that everyone works differently
“Managers should remember that not every employee actually wants to work from home, a shift that can be stressful for some... It’s key they communicate as much as possible and help employees struggling with the change.”
Source: https://time.com/5801725/work-from-home-remote-tips/
Tips from The Star
13. Go easy on yourself
“Michelle Cederberg, a productivity expert, and motivational speaker, has been working from home since 2006. While transitioning from office life can be difficult under regular circumstances, Cederberg says it’s important to remember this is not a normal situation.”
14. Set the mood
“When Jessica Moran decided to start her own public relations and marketing firm at home in 2013, she worked at her dining room table. She did a few small things to make the space feel motivating, such as putting her degrees on the wall, and in the morning after the kids had left for school she would light a candle and put on some music.”
15. Get dressed
“No, you don’t have to put on a blazer or walk around your house in your work shoes, but just changing out of your pajamas sends a signal to yourself that it’s time to be productive.”
Tips from Forbes
16. Set boundaries
“Now more than ever, it's essential to set boundaries when working remotely. This is because, more than likely, you have your spouse, children, and pets all in close quarters. Give your family signals as to when to leave you alone. For example, when the door is closed, that means that dad is on a conference call and doesn't want to be disturbed.”
17. Over-communicate
“Because you are not in an office where people can see you, communication is more critical when working remotely. Communicate frequently with your boss and know what's expected of you… The very best remote workers will reach out to co-workers and managers regularly through a variety of tools.”
Tips from Entrepreneur
18. Invest in a standing desk
“This will help alleviate lower back or hip pain and promote better health. But this doesn’t mean you should just stand all day. Move around your house — and I'm not just talking about trips to the fridge. Make sure to find times to sit throughout the day, and push your shoulders back to ensure that you are sitting with good posture. Move around and use different locations throughout your home to inspire creativity, encourage different ergonomic positions, and have different views and sounds.”
19. Apply the ROWE mindset
“Tim Jones, CEO of Precision Nutrition, an online nutrition and healthy lifestyle coaching and certification company, applies the ROWE mindset. ROWE stands for ‘results-only work environment,’ and Jones encourages it because it helps remove concerns managers may have around employee productivity. “We don't track hours or care about how you do your work, as long as you're getting the results," Jones said. "By focusing on goals and metrics, the old-school idea of how much time was spent sitting at a desk quickly goes out the door.””
20. Transfer your commute time to intentional rest time
“This is time for us to detach from our work. Instead of starting our day off by stressing out about getting somewhere on time, invest that time into either a relaxing ritual that gets you to a calm and clear state of mind or invest it into winding down your day so that you don't form a habit of working into the night.”
Tips from SalesForce
21. Digitize processes to make “work from anywhere” easier
“If our records and documents were on paper right now, the move to working remotely would have been much harder. We're a tech company, so we don't have many paper-based processes to begin with. But we've moved most of our processes that once required tracking information in spreadsheets or sending emails into apps built on our platform. We've built apps that digitize things like travel approvals, marketing content, and org charts. Instead of emailing the latest version of a spreadsheet, everyone can access the information they need.”
22. Use tools that make collaboration seamless
“We take for granted ‘water cooler’ conversations that turn into valuable insights that help us get work done. Besides encouraging video hangouts for both formal meetings and informal ‘virtual coffee breaks,’ it’s helpful to have collaborative, social tools to work on documents.”
23. Make it easy to find information fast
“We’ve reduced travel, implemented new work from home policies, and encouraged employees to rethink personal travel plans. This results in many questions for our IT, HR, and facilities teams. It’s important to make it easy for our employees to find the information they need and submit help tickets for more assistance.”
Source: https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2020/03/5-things-to-help-our-employees-navigate-work.html
Tips from PCMag
24. Take breaks in their entirety
“Don't short-change yourself during breaks — especially your lunch hour. You can use an app to lock yourself out of your computer for 60 minutes. Or you can just launch a simple clock or timer on the screen when you take a break. If you return to your desk after only 40 minutes, walk away for another 20.”
25. Leave your house
“To the extent that it's allowed and safe where you are during the COVID-19 outbreak, get out of the house, provided you can maintain social distancing of course. Leave the building at least once a day. Your body needs to move. Plus, the fresh air and natural light will do you good.”
26. Don’t hesitate to ask for what you need
“Request the equipment you need… It's extremely important to… ask for what you need to get your job done comfortably, including the right monitor, keyboard, mouse, chair, printer, software, and so forth. Organizations that are accustomed to remote employees often have a budget for home office equipment. Ask what it is and how often it's renewed. It also doesn't hurt to ask whether there's a loan agreement or who will pay for return shipping or disposal of outdated equipment.”
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/news/get-organized-20-tips-for-working-from-home
Tips from Social Media Today
27. Prepare your calls ahead of time
“To run an efficient online meeting, make sure that there are no distractions around you, such as phone, TV, or other people talking in the house.” Ensure you have a meeting agenda to follow throughout the call as well, so you don’t get off track.
28. Don’t forget to log off at the end of the day
“Working from home can give you the false impression that sitting at your desk for an extra hour can help you complete the task at hand or that a brilliant idea will magically pop in.”
Tips from Readers Digest Canada
29. Don’t clean
“Resist the temptation to straighten up or take on large projects around the house while you’re working from home. Keep your normal cleaning schedule. Since you shouldn’t be cleaning during the week, to keep you focused on work, clean your whole house in one day over the weekend.”
30. Keep errands to a minimum
“It’s tempting to run errands during office hours to avoid the weekend rush, but don’t go overboard. Working from home means that you may get an unexpected email or call about a situation that you have to attend to immediately. Try to keep errands to your appointed lunch hour or simply alert your team that you’ll be out this afternoon and working later in the evening to compensate for lost time.”
31. Stay professional
“Just because your home office doesn’t have a dress code doesn’t mean that you can wear your pajamas or nothing at all to business meetings. If you’re clean and dressed, you’ll conduct calls much more professionally and have better results. Avoid the temptation to be relaxed with your communications just because you’re in your fuzzy bunny slippers.”
32. Reward yourself
“You’ll never get through a long workday without treating yourself. One of the perks of working from home is you can reward yourself with the things you like without getting the side-eye from a nosy co-worker — try a mid-afternoon stroll around the block after finishing a PowerPoint or a fresh-baked cookie after getting off a conference call.”
Source: https://www.readersdigest.ca/home-garden/money/working-from-home-tips/
Tips from Business Journal
33. Block off time for personal stuff
“It's tempting to answer the call from your mom, watch the news or declutter your pantry when you should be focusing on your work. The truth is the lines of work and home will be blurred and more integrated than ever. Instead of letting personal distractions throw you completely off track, plan for them. Block time on your schedule during the day to order groceries or enjoy a snack with your kids. Without a plan, these interruptions can overtake your schedule, impacting your productivity and job performance.”
34. Set clear boundaries between work and play
“Commit to work hours and personal hours. Honoring a stopping point for work every day will help you relax, unwind, and get motivated for the next day. At the end of your workday, put away your work devices so work reminders are out of sight and out of mind. After work hours, use your home in ways that are personal to you: read a book, watch a movie, or cook a meal with your family. Given the disproportionate amount of time at home, it's more important than ever to create boundaries between your professional and personal life.”
Tips from Shopify
35. Keep your workspace and personal space separate
“Blending your workspace with your personal space is not a good way to stay productive. Sure, the idea of watching Netflix while working is great if you have some downtime — but it actually decreases your productivity tremendously. And, when these two worlds start to blend into one, it can be difficult to allocate time to one or the other. It’s a vicious cycle… Look into purchasing a room divider if your workspace isn’t a separate room from where you should be spending your personal time.”
36. Organize clutter and save time
“You’ve determined that you’re one of those people who just loves clutter. But have you considered trying to organize it? Think of it like this: you have a lot of stuff. Books, notes, notebooks, pencils, pens — they’re all over the place. Even your desktop on your computer is cluttered with old screenshots, Word documents, and more. You do know where everything is (most of the time), but it's not a very pleasant working environment for you or for those around you at home.”
37. Invest in ergonomic and beautiful furniture
“You might get up a few times for a break, but you may find yourself sitting down at your desk for hours on end once you get into a groove. That’s why it’s important to invest in ergonomic furniture for your office. You can’t afford to have your productivity and health hindered by a poor workspace. If you can, try and get an ergonomic chair or even a standing desk. Standing for a few hours while working will save your back and will make you more productive.”
38. Prepare meals for the week ahead
“Usually, if you’re working from home, you’ll have to take time out of your workday to cook for yourself. Or, if you’re lucky, you might have someone working from home with you that can help with cooking. To avoid spending too much time in the kitchen when you should be working, try doing some advance meal prep on Sunday evening. The idea here is to cook something in large quantities, throw them in airtight containers and eat each meal throughout the week so you don’t waste time cooking during working hours.”
Source: https://www.shopify.ca/blog/33586628-7-ways-to-be-more-productive-while-working-from-home
Tips from MasterClass
39. Use a chat program
“Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you can’t talk to your coworkers — use a chat program to make sure you can ask questions and discuss projects in real-time with your team members. You should even take some time to chat about things unrelated to work, to ensure your emotional well-being, and make sure you have healthy social connections throughout the workday.”
40. Make sure you have a good internet connection
“There’s nothing more frustrating when telecommuting than a spotty connection. It hinders everything from video calls to document sharing, and it will prevent you from being able to get almost anything done. If your home doesn’t have a reliable connection, you may need to find somewhere that does — like a nearby library or cafe.” (If COVID restrictions allow).
Source: MasterClass
For Agile teams and team leaders
Tips from Atlassian
41. Build a united development culture.
“There are four simple ways teams can make working across geographies easier and share a common developer culture:
Overcommunicate decisions across all geographies
Minimize the friction in setting up the development environment
Clearly define the definition of done
Create guidelines for filing effective bug reports”
42. Maximize the golden hours
“The golden hours for distributed software teams are when the local and remote teams are both in their respective offices at the same time. When all teams are in the office, this is a great time for stand-ups. For teams that share work between time zones, a stand-up is a great time to pass the baton so the team just coming online can pick up where the other team left off. And holding a stand-up via video conference makes it easy to ask questions and get up to speed so everyone is off and running as soon as the meeting is done.”
43. Build team rapport
“Personal connections are important. The stronger they become, the greater the chance of seeing these colleagues as any other, rather than distant coworkers from unfamiliar places without good relationships.”
Source: https://www.atlassian.com/agile/teams/remote-teams
Working from Home With Kids
Tips from Buffer
44. Put your desk closer to your kids, if possible
“I have my desk in the kid’s playroom. I love to have them around and it doesn’t disturb my concentration at all. The only thing is that they often pop up in chats.”
45. Rotate toys to keep them new and interesting
“This can buy an extra 10–20 minutes of independent playtime to get a few more things done!”
46. Mindfully enjoy
“A bit of a silly one and it probably goes without saying — but I always feel the need to reflect and embrace this one anew each week. To work remotely is such a special opportunity [and gives you a chance to spend more time with your kids that might be wasted on a commute, etc.].”
Source: https://open.buffer.com/integrating-work-family-21-tips-working-home-kids/
Tips from Forbes
47. Keep children on a schedule
“If you have children at home, staying organized is even more important during this time. If you can attempt to replicate the schedule of a typical school day, that will help. Especially with small children, try to get some of your work done while the kids are having lunch or taking naps.”
Advice from CEOs and founders
48. Advice from Hanako Maeda, Founder and CEO of Adeam
“The health and well-being of my team and their families is the most important, so we have been working from home… While working from home, it’s been helpful to set alarms to indicate office hours and also give myself breaks for 12 pm lunchtime and 3 pm coffee breaks. It helps me to have breaks once in 3 to 4 hours to keep my productivity. We’ve also been having a lot of phone conferences and Skype meetings, which have been very useful. Also, I’ve been working out at home using hand weights and yoga mats, and doing a short exercise in the morning has helped me get an energy boost.”
49. Advice from Jennifer Bandier, Founder and CEO of Bandier
“In order to successfully work from home, you need to make sure (ahead of time) your work-from-home office is set up and prepared. This means: great Wi-Fi, great Wi-Fi, great Wi-Fi. Losing the face-to-face dynamic is the biggest challenge when working from home. To overcome this hurdle, Wi-Fi and utilizing video is necessary. Powering video conference is the major hack when trying to stay on top of meetings and communicating with others.”
50. Advice from Priti Joshi, Vice President of Strategic for Bumble
“I’ve tried to dedicate a space in my home to work and a space to not work. I’m doing my best to honor this; when we are working and living in the same space, it’s too easy to let one or the other consume us (or feel torn in multiple directions). The number one thing for me: I never take my laptop into my bedroom!
“Take time for all the emotions. Physically distancing from others is hard, and it’s okay to let yourself acknowledge that. I’m making it a point to FaceTime my family, friends, and loved ones — even more than I normally would. While we can’t all be there for each other physically, we can virtually. That is what matters.
“I’m also remembering to motivate our team. Keep in mind that anyone who entered the workforce in the last 10 years has never experienced an economic climate like today’s. To help support the team, we’re creating a new weekly tradition: virtual happy hours on Thursday afternoons. Partners, pets, and children are welcome, and my hope is we can catch up on the latest Netflix binge or recipe we’re trying out to help all of us stay positive together in this challenging time!”
From Harper’s Bazaar Source: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/g31677436/working-from-home-tips/
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