The key to working from home? Choose the right slippers (and other tips)

Lady with glasses is working on her laptop in the kitchen and smiling at the screen

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Published

March 12, 2020

WFH :-)

As office workers are now having to face working from home we’ve put together some handy tips. Why? Because working from home is the only way we work, so we know what works. Here’s our handy, slightly irreverent take.

Always get dressed. At least from the waist up for video calls. Working in your PJs may sound attractive, but it’s not going to help you get your head into work mode.
Use a proper office chair and a desk. Laptops on kitchen tables, or even on laps, are not a long-term solution.
Discover the joy of a standing desk. It doesn’t need to be a real one. A board across two piles of books does the trick. And if standing doesn’t work, maybe try squatting.
If you can, make your home office a separate space from the rest of your home. Something you can close the door on, or store away out of sight. Especially if you have young children.
At the end of the day, declare the day “done” - whether good or bad - and move your attention on to home. It’s too easy to just keep on working. Resist the temptation.
You’re at home, so slippers make sense. But somehow they’re a bit too “homely”. So get yourself a pair of work slippers. And when you’ve finished for the day, swap them for those fluffy pink mules you love.
Make really nice lunches. Artisan soups. Salads. Last night’s takeaway. You’re at home - the food doesn’t have to be bad! Don’t eat at your desk. And make good coffee - you deserve it.
Stay in touch. Pick up the phone. Use video conferencing. Use Slack / Teams or similar for office chat. Don’t just send emails - they’re too “heavy”. Make a special effort to keep the “water-cooler chat” flowing.
Get out of the house at least once a day. Use the step counter on your smartphone or watch to guilt you into staying active. Post your walks on the chat. Praise others for making the effort to get out.
Be intentional about doing something different during what would have been your commute time and lunchtime. Read a book. Go for a run. Paint the shed.
Get in the zone with focus apps and music to work by. Despite what you told your parents when you were revising, you probably can’t focus when the music is loud and has lyrics.
You may be working remotely, but don’t be distant. Use the webcam whenever you can. Use screenshare to show colleagues what you’re talking about.