If you’re working from home for the first time, here are some tips to help you get set up
1. Your workplace can’t be your bed
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Just like when you’re at work, it’s probably a good idea to have a space dedicated to working at home as well.
“It’s easy for people to think they can work from the couch/bed. They try to justify by being productive for a few days but it doesn’t last. Having a workplace is extremely important when you try to work from home. It didn’t work for me until I got a home office,” said Jaiswal.
2. It doesn’t need to be fancy — but it needs to be quiet
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It doesn’t have to take up the whole room, it doesn’t even need to be fancy — but it does need to be a space where noise is as less as possible. More importantly, it needs to be away from the bed.
“It's extremely important to have your setup away from your bed to avoid the tendency to crash all the time,” he said.
3. Keep it clean, keep it sanitary
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If your desk at work is messy, it’s likely that your workplace at home is going to get messy as well. And, since this is at home, the mess is going to build up. However, working from home could be a good time to try and change.
“I was similar in that nature. I've started keeping my desktop clean and workstation organized since last year and that has reflected on my work. I felt that my workspace (and desktop) was a reflection of my headspace,” shared Jaiswal.
4. How do you keep the family away?
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It’s easy to get distracted with what’s happening around you at home when you’re working remotely. Most of us are either living with parents or our own families. While working remotely it’s important to set the boundaries — but with respect.
“They're not entering your space, you're entering theirs. Having this mentality goes a long way. Now, you need to bring them on board with the idea of working from home and they're a big part of your work now,” said Jaiswal.
The change isn’t going to happen overnight and it could mean a few serious sit-down discussions about respecting boundaries. But it’s important to ensure that everyone is on the same page and feels like their opinion is valued.
5. What if you still get sleepy when working from home?
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If you have the budget for it, it may be worth investing in some plants and fragrance to keep the senses rejuvenated as you work.
“I was talking to one of my friends who runs a remote company and he came up with a recommendation that worked. You can keep a plant at your workstation and use an oil burner for your entire team. When everyone on the team has these common things, it gives a sense of belongingness to everyone.” said Jaiswal.
Not only does it help you stay awake, but it also fosters a sense of unity even though every is different locations.
6. When the initial hype of working from home starts to die
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Now that you have your work station set up, the next step is to make sure that your mind is in the right place. Initially, working from home results in a sharp spike in productivity. However, overtime, that rigour tends to fade. Not because you’re doing anything wrong, but because it’s the same old thing day-in and day-out, without giving yourself any distance from work.
“This happens because you either work anytime or all the time. Having a fixed schedule helps you stay focused and gives predictability to the team. Keep away from distractions,” says Jaiswal.
7. Get some exercise
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No one’s saying that you should hit the gym — which you can’t anyway since most of them are shut — but when you’re at work, you’re not sitting at your desk all day. You’re also moving around, at least till the coffee machine or a meeting room. So making sure that you at least get the minimum amount of the steps a day could go a long way in keeping up your stamina.
“Walking increases oxygen supply to your brain and makes you a bit more active than before. Do that consciously when working from home,” advises Jaiswal.
8. Don’t miss coffee machine chats
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Jaiswal recommends setting up a ‘scheduled no-agenda time’. This means everyone from a team or company hops on a call to shoot the wind. It’s not about work, it’s not a meeting — it’s just a session where everyone can check in on each other and see what else is up in the world.
“At Pesto, we often do coffee chats over zoom with no agenda to talk about someone’s vacation, the marriage they attended or memes they created. The culture of the company is the people in it, this helps those people get together,” explained Jaiswal.
9. Celebrate small wins
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Working from home can tend to weigh down on the team spirit when you feel like all you’re doing is work. Which is why, it’s all the more important to celebrate small wins. Just simple shout-outs to colleagues or employees that work under you to let them know that their work is appreciated.
“In our slack, we have a channel called #smallwins where we celebrate every new design we liked or a new student we accepted. We often give shout outs to people who worked hard and did amazing work. Enjoying each other’s success is always our priority,” said Jaiswal.
10. It's not all about you
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When working from home, it’s easy to zone into your own issues rather than pay attention to other people that you work with. According to Jaiswal, being approachable can go a long way in making sure your day is more efficient and organised without compromising on being professional.
“We used a hack to update our surnames on slack with our work timings because generally, people care about the later much more than surnames. This especially helps when you’ve people across timezones,” explained Jaiswal.
Bonus tip: Employers, give your employees space
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As a boss, it’s easy to feel that your employees aren’t working unless you’re on their head. However, when you have a team that’s working remotely — that attitude isn’t going to fly.
“You should only do it if you care more about metrics hit by an individual than time spent by an employee on it, in office,” explained Jaiswal. According to him, numbers aren’t everything — it’s the actual effort that’s being put into a project that counts.
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