For some, the idea of working from home means sitting on the sofa in your cosiest pyjamas with a brew and working through your emails and tasks for the day. For others however, it disrupts the structure and organisation you would usually have when working in the office. When BonBon Languages was founded over two years ago, it has since been operated remotely. The whole team, with the exception of Lauren who enjoys the mix of working between the comfort of her own home and an office space in Cleethorpes, has adjusted to working from home. With the business constantly growing and developing, working remotely has proven to be a huge success and we have no plans to change how we work. From our own experience, we have some tips to increase productivity and strive while work from home!
- Have a comfortable workspace
Ensuring your workspace suits your needs is so important to work from home effectively. Having a desk as large as you can afford and sensibly have space for will allow you to have room for your ideal setup, such as two monitors. This will make your job easier. In addition, a suitable chair with back and neck support is paramount in being able to work comfortably. We would argue that this is more important than the actual room you’re in. However, we don’t recommend working in your bedroom. Separating your living space and working space is important to ensure you don’t go stir-crazy!
Following on from having the right equipment, if you feel you need something extra to make your job more comfortable, do not hesitate to ask your manager. Managers are often overloaded with work and may not see your home environment so speaking up and asking if the company can provide you with more support to do your job well from home is completely within your rights. Often, it can be resolved quickly and without your personal expense.
- Look presentable!
Get into the habit of getting washed and ready to ensure you are video-call presentable before you sit at your desk in the morning. Otherwise, you may decide to sit down super early at 7am in your dressing gown and then have your day thrown completely out of whack by then having to break off for half an hour to get ready at 9am ahead of a video call at 9.30am. Interrupting your day at odd times to do tasks that could have easily been done before you started your working day can be extremely disruptive to your overall routine and work.
- Take an exercise break
Nothing feels more productive and refreshing than getting a workout in before work. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with exercising during your lunch break if you prefer to have a lie-in the morning, you can choose to workout in the morning to get you prepped and ready for the day. By organising yourself with preparing your pre-workout snack and having your exercise clothes laid out and ready, you can head out the door for a run or workout in your living room quickly and efficiently. Exercising is really beneficial for not only your physical but your mental health too and you will notice that your concentration span will improve. We understand that it can be difficult staring at your laptop screen all day so taking 30 mins to be active will truly help.
- Take advantage of being REMOTE
A huge advantage of working remotely is that you can literally choose the location. As long as you’re not accessing sensitive data in public, we recommend that you work at a coffee shop for a couple of hours here and there to break your days up. When you have light tasks that don’t require two screens or a quiet room, it’s always nice to get out for a little bit to have a change of scenery. Not only will it do wonders for your mood, but you may even find yourself being more productive. Your manager may even cover some expenses as well – it all counts towards improved mental health and a boost in team morale.
- Have a work staycation
As long as there is a suitable place to work, why not try going on a short mini break where you can work during the day and explore afterwards? This is also great if you have a partner who also works from home, so you have someone to enjoy the experience with. Our candidate manager, Laura, is currently working from her home country of South Africa so our team is living proof that the possibilities are endless!
Of course, with our tips, your remote working experience will be great but always make sure you find a balance between work and leisure.