10 Tips for Making Work-From-Home Work for You

Between shifts in company culture, an increase in 1099contract employees and an unexpected outcome of COVID-19, a growing number of companies are offering work-from-home options to their teams. Beyond the option to wear PJs to work and the removal of rush hour from your daily routine, the benefits of telecommuting are wide-reaching. Still, some people – particularly those who are social by nature – have a challenging time adjusting to this new reality. As a company that designs homes to fit the needs and lifestyles of the people it serves, Green RiverBuilders is proud to present 10 tips for making work-from-home work forYOU!

1)    Create Your Own Structure: A problem many telecommuters face is that their days lack structure. If that’s the case for you, it’s vital that you become your own “manager” and create a structure to your day that makes sense for you and your job. You may start your day answering and sending emails for an hour or two before jumping in on assignments, phone calls and video conferencing calls. An online calendar is a fantastic way to stay on task and stick to the structure you’ve created.

2)    Don’t Skimp on Showers and Self-Love:When you work from home, it’s all too easy to roll out of bed, grab a cup of coffee and dive into your work day. In time, showers – and shave, makeup or clothes with zippers – may become optional. If your appearance has always been important to you, don’t skip the shower and be sure to take the time to exercise, slap on some lipstick, trim your beard – whatever it is that you do for yourself to make you feel put together and whole.

3)    Become Tech-Savvy: Needless to say, to be successful at telecommuting, you’ll need to be comfortable with technology.Kick that capability up a notch and set a goal to become a tech GURU. View tutorials, test your skills, explore opportunities to streamline and even consider investing in a class or two (or sway your employer to invest on your behalf).

4)    Diminish Distractions: A house full of kids and pets often paints the picture of a cheerful home. However, they can also prove distracting during the work day – not just for you, but also for the person or people on the other end of a phone or video conferencing call. Try your best to set the ground rules among your family members that when the door to your office is closed, mommy or daddy is at work. This may be a tall order for younger kids, so you might want to consider day care or babysitter options depending on the demands of your job and the needs of your child(ren). For older kids, plan activities and have healthy snacks readily available.

5)    Set – and Stick to – Office Hours: In an endeavor to be invaluable to your employer and clients, you may have slippedinto the appearance of a “whenever you need me” 24/7 availability. For work-life balance and to preserve your own sanity, set your office hours – justas you would if you were going into the office and do your best to stick to them.

6)    Crush the Fine Art of Communication: Inflection and interpretation can be lost when communicating solely via text and email.Endeavor to communicate clearly and concisely so important tasks and messages don’t fall through the cracks. If you learn that they are – despite your best efforts – lean into phone calls and video conferencing for those verbal cues that help your message hit home.

7)    Give Yourself a Break: If you’re a workaholic by nature, it’s easy to get lost in the work and plow forward. With the exception of the hard to ignore call of nature, you may forget to take the occasional break to grab a drink or meal. Working from home can be a largely sedentary lifestyle, so – as you structure your day – be sure to schedule in time to stretch your legs, make a sandwich, brew a fresh pot of coffee and more. Where you may have taken a full hour for lunch at the office, you may want to break that up into a half hour for lunch and two 15-minute breaks for other tasks like walking the dog and checking in on the kids. Instead of using the time that you would normally have used for commuting to and from work to polish off work tasks, give that time to yourself and your family.

8)    Embrace the Chance for a Change of Scenery:Living and working from home can become tedious. To stave off the tedium, you may want to schedule days when you actually DO go into the office, meet clients for lunch, work remotely at the local coffee shop or library, or take the show on the road with a personal hotspot and the Great Outdoors as your office.

9)    Stock Up on Supplies and Get Organized:From pens and papers to the big stuff such as a state-of-the-art laptop and printer, you’ll want to have everything in place to ensure a successful work-from-home lifestyle. Take the time to organize everything so it’s within reach when you need it - enhancing the structure you’re endeavoring to create, rather than ramping up the sense of chaos.

10)  Create a Dedicated Work Environment that Inspires You: At Green River Builders, we are proud to design floor plans that complement the lifestyles of the families who will live there. From flexible living spaces to dedicated home offices, we make it easy for you to create a work environment that makes “going to the office” a happy task. As an added benefit, you can collaborate with our designer to infuse the space with the colors that inspire you and built-in bookcases to help you organize and beautify your office.

To learn more about Green River Builders and the many ways our homes can enhance your live-work-play lifestyle, we invite you to visit us online at www.GreenRiverBuilders.com.

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