How To “Work From Home” Well

It can be an interesting switch to go from working in an office to working at home – many of us have experienced that switch in the last few years! For some of us this change has helped us feel more of a positive work-life balance, or some of us might feel a little…claustrophobic.

It’s not uncommon for working from home to feel squished, or distracted – while the at-home work lifestyle can be great, we need to keep that balance between work and home healthy. Today we’re going to dive into some ways that we can boost our productivity from home, and how to mentally keep work separate from home (even while they’re under the same roof!)

Establish a dedicated workspace.

One of the golden rules for working from home is to set aside a designated workspace. Working from home can really allow us to improve our work-life balance, but let’s be real: There can be a lot of distractions at home!

Find a quiet space tucked away from people, noise from the television, or any other things you find distracting you from work. Set up a little desk space with everything you need, and make yourself comfortable.

When the lines blur between work and home is when we start to slow down and get distracted. Establishing these boundaries for yourself and communicating these boundaries with the people you live with can help make the WFH transition easier and more natural.

Set some daily goals or to-do’s.

At Wellifize, we love a goal. And we’ll tell you to make them all the time! Goals are a great self-motivator. When we’re building a daily or weekly goal for work, keep it tangible and realistic for what you’re able to accomplish each day. If you have a larger goal, break it up into smaller pieces and set deadlines for yourself.

Successfully working from home requires us to hold ourselves accountable for our productivity, and we can really excel at this when we put in the work! Keep yourself focused, keep yourself honest, and these types of goals can really increase our productivity from home.

Communicate a little extra.

Technology is a gift that allows us to work in a team in many places, host virtual meetings, and communicate progress at any time. However productive you feel at home, your coworkers and managers won’t know unless you tell them!

It’s important to keep on top of communication when you’re left alone to work most days – check in often, share updates often, and ensure that everyone you work with is up to speed with your current tasks or projects.

Think about pitching the idea of a weekly recap or consistent meetings to update the team, and it’s much better to over communicate than under communicate!

Keep your daily routines intact!

While working in your PJs might be the cozier option, it’s important for us to keep our morning routines interacting while working from home – wake up at your alarm, get dressed, eat breakfast, and get down to business!

There was a fascinating study done by Northwestern University that discusses the psychological impact of what we wear on how we feel – think about it! When we get dressed up for work, we mentally shift gears to be focused on work. Wearing a more relaxed outfit with sweatpants might make us feel a little slower-going, and can affect our productivity and focus.

While it may sound silly, getting fully dressed and sticking to a dedicated routine is a massive key to work-from-home wellness.

Design your work schedule.

Working from home takes a level of independence in the way that you are responsible for your productivity – this means sticking to a work schedule like you normally would, but designing it in a way that works well for you.

For example, say you have a doctor’s appointment and have to pick up kids from school on the same day. You could schedule your working hours earlier in the morning in order to finish up a good amount of work before you go to your appointment and get the kids. Your personal rhythm will discate how productive you are in a home setting, and designing your own schedule can really help us find that rhythm.

Working from home is a great gift for those of us with busy lives, multiple jobs, or a family to take care of! Finding a rhythm with our working life and our personal life can help us decrease unnecessary stress in our lives while keeping our productivity high.

Take some time today to look at how you work at home, does it flow well or is it fragmented? If you find yourself constantly facing interruptions, it might be time to reflect on how your WFH is impacting you.

If you’d like to learn more about wellness at home, you can find more resources in the Home section of your Wellifize app.

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References + Sources

Image by Sigmund on Unsplash

Baylor University Staff. 2023. “Practical Tips for Working at Home.” Baylor.edu. Baylor University. 2023.
https://hr.web.baylor.edu/manage-lead/hybridremote-work-resources/practical-tips-working-home.

Ercanbrack, Michelle. 2023. “How to Work Remotely: 10 Ways to Boost Productivity.” Www.bamboohr.com. March 13, 2023.
https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/tips-for-working-remotely.

NHS. 2021. “6 Simple Tips to Tackle Working from Home – Every Mind Matters.” Nhs.uk. May 4, 2021.
https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/simple-tips-to-tackle-working-from-home/.

O’Hara, Carolyn. 2014. “5 Ways to Work from Home More Effectively.” Harvard Business Review. October 2, 2014.
https://hbr.org/2014/10/5-ways-to-work-from-home-more-effectively.

Votel, Kaitlyn. 2022. “4 Work-From-Home Tips to Improve Health and Well-Being.” HealthPartners Blog. Health Partners. May 16, 2022.
https://www.healthpartners.com/blog/work-from-home-tips-for-health-wellbeing/.