Working at Home has Great Rewards

Working from home can have great rewards, flexibility, satisfaction and health challenges for women. The benefits of working from home far outweigh working in an office for some women and it goes way beyond the amount of time traveling from home to work. 2020 has shown all of us how we can work from home and still be great parents having the family’s welfare as our top priority. Here are some tried and tested ideas for your working space, your meals, exercise, social activities and personal care

Your Working at Home Space

• Organise a specially dedicated work are or office that is used just for work
• Spend money on a good quality chair and office desk
• Invest in quality technology and high-speed internet, slow connection speeds will frustrate you and things will take twice as long.
• Have a clock close by so you can monitor your activities and time
• Invest in a good comfortable pair of headphones
• Create an area which you like and enjoy being in that is functional
• Protect yourself from cyber attack and security risks
• Have someone who can help you with IT issues
• Open the windows and let some air into your office from time to time.
• Make sure you have a good heater that keeps you warm when you work

Your Meals and Nutrition

We may grab and go our food, not taking the time to prepare meals properly.
• Add a probiotic such as kefir into our diet
• Set a specific time to each lunch and prepare it from scratch
• Think about snacks prior to the working week and have them organised
• Prepare your lunch the night before, make it healthy, easy to cook or just reheat

Movement and Exercise

woman working on laptop computer form home

You will spend a lot of time siting and not moving much as we are absorbed by our projects.
• Start the day by walking around the block as if you are going to work.
• Schedule breaks, put on a timer so every 45 minutes you get up stretch and walk around
• Use a sit/stand desk, so you can have periods of time standing rather than sitting
• Live stream a yoga or pilates class or do a dance class in your break times.
• Walk and talk while on the phone.. Make it a habit as soon as the phone rings to stand up and walk

Social Isolation

We might forget to prioritise social activities and isolate ourselves.
• Schedule in times to go out and have fun
• Now that we are out of lockdown Try working in a café, library or pubic lounge one morning a week so you get to see people, you will be amazed at what contacts you will make.
• Use professional communication technology to stay in contact with people, learn to use zoom or other programs..
• Make an effort to connect beyond your work, build relationships
• Join like minded business communities who will support you

Self Care

Neglecting our personal values and self care as a high priority can slowly creep in.
• Work when you’re the most productive for work and rest when you need it, work your day out to suit your body, needs and motivation
• Get Dressed. Working in slippers and pj’s instead of getting dressed doesn’t make you feel good
• Apply make-up every day and make you feel good about who you are and boost your spirits.
• Play some music, have it going outside the office so it doesn’t disrupt you but you can hear it all the time.
• Have a book on the go, so when you have finished work you have some downtime that is not screen time.
• Buy some fresh flowers to have around the house to brighten your day
• Communicate your expectations to people who are home with you
• Go outside and see what the day is like and get some sun on your body.

Motivation and Time Management

Staying motivated to work is doable
• Pick a finishing time so you have something to look for and a motivation to get things done by.
• Create a daily to do list the night before so you know what you need to do first each day, cross the item off when you have completed it, creating satisfaction
• Have a morning routine and know what you will do each morning..
• Use a reward system if that helps you stay on track
• Stay off social media, delete short cuts and icons as it can zap your time
• Avoid family, friends and pets as they won’t understand that you are working

Working from home gives women flexibility to do the things they need or want to do too, we may have choices to adjust our hours to fit into our lifestyle and feel fulfilled with our careers. In some ways we can have it all, the career, the home and the dreams, but we need to be strategic, vigilant and dedicated to make it happen and be successful at it all. By being determined and putting these work from home tips into practice and reorganising your daily activities will streamline your efficiency and fast track your success into having it all.