This month marks the 4th birthday of 1oh1 Media and in that time I've run the company from a couch, a cupboard, a dining table, an office, a kitchen bench and now a permanently set up spare room/home office. During all this I've learnt a few "do's & don'ts" and as everyone prepares to work from home for a few weeks I thought I'd share them with you.
1. Put some clothes on...
This might sound obvious but it's actually all about your mindset. Keep your routine up. Go to the gym/walk dog come home, have a shower and put on your normal work clothes before making breakfast. It helps drastically in keeping you in work mode. (And yes... UGG BOOTS are acceptable Work From Home Footwear)
2. Invest in a good set of noise-cancelling headphones.
Distractions come in many, many forms when working from home and a sure-fire way of helping you avoid them is a decent set of headphones. If you thought that bloke sitting at the desk across from you chewing loudly was annoying, wait till you hear your neighbours start moving furniture above you, your dog snoring or the vast amount of leaf blowers outside your window! More importantly, you'll also find yourself doing a lot more Skype/Google Hangout calls and they'll make a huge difference.
3. The couch is not a desk.
We all dream of it - rugged up in a blanket, snacks on one side, phone on the other and your laptop right there on your…" lap". This is ideal for about 20 mins. After that, you'll notice that not only are you not getting anything done (Because you've already seen that episode of Seinfeld/Friends playing in the background & the remote is out of reach) but your neck, back and legs will start to hurt like crazy. You can't sit or type properly on the couch and the best way to fix this is to use the dining table, kitchen bench or an actual desk if you can.
4. Take an actual lunch break.
Taking a break is nothing new but you'll find working from home you'll eat in front of your screen(s) even more than you ever did in an office. Get up - Take 5 mins to stretch properly and then go outside & grab lunch. Not only will your brain thank you - You'll free yourself from further distractions at home. (And support your local cafe while you're at it) - I can vouch from personal experience that eating lunch whilst watching TV/Playing PS4 starts out with great intentions but you'll suddenly realise it's 4:55 pm and you've wasted your whole afternoon.
5. Switch it off.
Funnily enough "Going Home" is no longer a thing. So make sure you actually log off at the same time you would normally leave the office. This does two things... It keeps you accountable for your time management during the day and it also gives you time to clear your head and stop thinking about work till the next day. (Unless you're like Kate and I who run our own companies and then too bad - Nobody else is going to do it so you're working till midnight again :) - Tj
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