In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, people across the globe are having to adapt to working from home. For many, this is previously unknown territory. The question therefore arises as to how to maintain productive working when WFH.
As a co-working space provider, we are well-versed in creating working environments that prioritise creativity, collaboration and efficiency. In this article, we are going to share some of our proven techniques for workspace productivity, that are also fully transferable to working from home.
Interested in learning more about Us&Co’s Private Offices & Co-Working Spaces? Click here for more information or view our virtual 360° space tours.
Working from home does not mean working alone. Just because you are out of the office, doesn’t mean that you should stop utilising the skills and insights of your colleagues.
Now is the time to really make the most out of the wealth of communication technology available: Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts. Obviously, it’s not quite the same as having your team in the room with you, but virtual meetings are the next best thing. Use these tools to open up idea-generation discussions, pick people’s brains and talk through what you’re working on. You’ll find it so much more lucrative than trying to go it alone.
In some cases, there are even benefits to be reaped from working in close proximity with housemates, family members, partners or friends – even if they’re not in the same industry. Talking through your thoughts out-loud with anyone is helpful for making sure your ideas make sense. Plus, you may even learn something new from their specialities that are applicable to your day-to-day: from how they manage their time to how they format their spreadsheets!
How you set-up your workspace is crucial to getting in the right frame of mind to create and deliver. It may be tempting to slouch on the sofa in your pyjamas, but ultimately that’s not going to help you remain productive.
Based on our learnings as a productivity-focused office space provider, the below are our top tips for setting up your own WFH workspace:
The secret to working productively from home is to treat your days as similarly as possible to your in-office days. Everything that you’ve learned works for you in the past, try and continue as much as you can.
First things first is to start and finish work at the same time you would usually, in order to maintain routine. Yes, that means getting up, dressed and grabbing breakfast in the morning, and switching off at a reasonable time at the end of the working day.
If you’re used to chatting with your teammates around the coffee machine, or talking through your weekends on a Monday morning, keep that up! Those social, water-cooler chats are just as important to your wellbeing and productivity as work-based conversations. Similarly, we recommend organising virtual lunch-dates with colleagues and friends to give yourself a well-needed midday break.
For those who like working in an office with background chatter or music, try and emulate that through curating your own WFH playlist. If your preference was always for silence, work out the best ways you can achieve that at home.
Now more than ever, people are starting to re-prioritise and concentrate on the things in life that mean most to them. Obviously, work is important – for many it’s the most important part of their life. But the trick is to still make sure you still take breaks whenever you can, so you come back refreshed and ready to roll.
Get in touch with the Us&Co team today
Our office spaces are currently closed as a response to the global situation, however we are still more than happy to discuss future co-working membership. We have virtual 360° floor-by-floor tours of all three of our spaces (London Monument, Stratford and Dublin). You can contact us through any of the means below, and we will be sure to let you know when we’re re-opening our doors.
London Monument co-working space, 7 Harp Lane
Book an in-person tour (when we re-open)
Phone us: 02030313535
London Stratford co-working space, 11 Burford Road (newly opened)
Book an in-person tour (when we re-open)
Phone us: 020 3031 3535
Dublin St. Stephen’s Green co-working space, 5 School House Lane East
Book an in-person tour (when we re-open)
Phone us: +353 (1) 529 4100