Working at home – making it work for you!
Working at home – making it work for you!
#TeamBoo share their top tips for home working
Home working is often a topic of debate. Some people love it and seem to have it down to a tee, other people find working from home a great challenge and some organisations don’t offer it as an option. At Boo we go with the approach that it is getting the work done and meeting the needs of the business and our customers that matters most – not where you do it!
With the current developments of COVID 19 we have decided at Boo HQ to work from home and switch our interactions to zoom or phone calls where possible. There are many companies looking to do the same thing and for some, this is more challenging than for others!
Team Boo are used to home working and we are all too familiar with some of the challenges this presents. We have all developed our own ways of maximising our working from home time. Here are some of our top tips to feeling accomplished…
Creating the right environment:
- For me getting up and dressed as if you would a day at the office helps focus the mind.
- Lighting a candle always helps me in the office so I make sure there’s one nearby when I’m working from home.
- Music makes me happy so I’m going to mine Spotify for some albums I’ve not listened to in years…any recommendations?
Staying focussed
- Keeping in touch with the team helps me to feel connected…a mid-morning check in on Zoom helps us all to stay focused and share any ideas or worries etc. I will also be exploring Microsoft Teams this week and will let you know how I get on.
- Working on one thing at a time helps, I don’t get much finished if I’m trying to multi task!
- Find time in the day for your development…maybe listen to a podcast (Boocast) or watch a TED talk – totally free and a great opportunity to transport yourself somewhere different for a few minutes.
- I work in different parts of the house for different bits of work – it helps me focus and prevents groundhog day!
- Some days a write a list as I’ve done things so I can see what I have achieved- a reverse to do list! It helps me feel productive.
- I like to have a phone call at some point in the day. It helps my motivation and feels connected with other people working.
Coping with the urge to do ‘home’ things
- I get distracted by the house stuff! So I will stick a load of washing on and then get on with my work…it’s pointless trying to work solidly for 8 hours…it’s impossible to do this in the office so why insist on such old fashioned rules for home working?!
- I don’t feel guilty if I do a ‘house thing’. Sometimes that gives me thinking space and helps me generate ideas.
- I don’t work a normal 9-5 and break up the day working when it fits, taking time out to collect the children from school and then working a little when they are off to bed. I save easier tasks for later in the evening.
Looking after our wellbeing
- I take the opportunity to enjoy not having the morning rush and to walk my boys to school. It starts me off with a good routine, I get to spend time with my favourite people as well as getting in some exercise with a lovely mindful walk back home to set me up ready to work.
- A walk in the middle of the day helps – we are fortunate to live very close to the Smithills Estate in Bolton as well as the stunning West Pennines Moors. The view from Rivington Pike is a good place to put things in perspective. If time is an issue then I plan on a fast walk around the local lodge.
- I keep my water bottle next to me and make sure I take a break for lunch.
- Sticking to mint tea rather than coffee after coffee! I will start my day with coffee but I know that any coffee after 11ish and I am not at my finest.
- I ensure I take breaks and enjoy a cup of tea with a walk round the garden.
- I position my lap top where I can see my garden which I find creates a calm environment and of course plenty of tea!
It was interesting sharing these ideas with each other and see some of the common themes and challenges. Many of us use nature to support our home working day and also accept that we are human – and the laundry or that little job that needs doing can be distracting and we can find ways to fit them in to our working day!
If you would like to share some of your own homeworking top tips, Tweet us @Boo_HQ
