Top 10 Tips For Your First Job Working From Home
If you are about to embark on your first job working from home, you can expect a period of adjustment. There are a lot of reasons why so many people prefer to work remotely, but it is important to note that there are some things that you are going to have to get used to. This is especially true if this is your first job straight out of school or university, or indeed if you are making this switch after many years of working in an office.
What you need to be aware of is that working from home does require a bit of an attitude shift. When you are spending all of your time at home, you are going to need to change how you think about your work life and your down time, and you are going to need to consider that you may be incurring more expenses than you would normally. Here are a few tips to help you get off to the best possible start.
Give Yourself A Proper Place To Work
Let’s start with something that a lot of people who started working from home during the pandemic neglected: you need to have a proper set-up for your workspace. Do not just put your laptop on the kitchen table or the sofa, and especially try to avoid working in your bedroom. If you have a spare room, use that as an office, and if not, make sure that you clear a proper space.
Make Sure You Have The Right Equipment
Having a proper working from home station goes beyond having a computer with a webcam. As the reports from lockdown have shown, investing in a decent desk chair will do your back and shoulder muscles wonders in the long run. A good desk is also important, and much better for you than using the dining table. You should also look at how you can bring some order and organisation to your workspace. Resist the temptation to sprawl.
Look For Ways To Save Money
Because you are working from home, you will notice your bills going up. You will be using a lot more electricity and you are going to have the heating on a lot more, especially during the winter. Firstly, make sure all your systems are working as efficiently as possible. Explore options for Myrtle Beach air conditioning repair, or similar services elsewhere, to ensure your cooling systems are operating at peak performance. Similarly, make sure you schedule regular maintenance checks to prevent unexpected breakdowns and keep everything running smoothly. Also, think about shopping around for a better deal on your energy and broadband bills and think about changing your phone plan to save you cash. A SIM-only plan will only give you what you need and with Lebara you get a rolling monthly plan that can cancel at any time.
Be Clear On When Your Workday Ends
Make sure that you have a set time for when you log on for work in the morning and when you sign off at the end of the day. Try to avoid going over, as it is very important that you keep your downtime stress free. It can be a lot easier to tell ourselves that we’ll just work for another hour on that big project when we don’t have to commute home, but you need to keep that line between work and home clearly defined.
Keep Getting Outside
There is always a temptation when you work from home to stay in bed as long as possible and hit the sofa as soon as you’re done. There are real physical and mental health benefits to getting outside and getting some exercise, so try to get outdoors before you start your day. It can be as simple as a walk around the block, or you could see if any of your friends who are working remotely in your neighbourhood want to get into jogging.
Take A Lunchbreak
Find out how long you have for your lunchbreak and be sure that you take it. You need to take a break from your screen, and you need to make sure that you are having a proper break. Try to plan a healthy lunch to give yourself a boost as well as a break. It’s worth remembering that there will always be distractions when you work from home, but having proper breaks will help you refocus when it’s time to get back to it.
Light Is Important
When you are choosing where you are going to be working, light needs to be a big consideration. If you can’t find a spot by or near a window, think about where you could set up some warm lighting or think about investing in a SAD lamp for those dark winter days.
Find Out If Your Hours Are Flexible
One of the bonuses of remote working for a lot of people is that they have more flexibility to attend to home commitments. Find out from your employer whether you can choose which hours you work in a day if you need to do things like picking your kids up from school, and if you can make up hours if you have a doctor or dentist’s appointment.
Check Your Mental Health
There has been a lot written about mental health and burnout in the last eighteen months. We all have a better understanding of warning signs that we need to be looking out for and the things that we can do if we start to feel overwhelmed. However, if you are just starting to work from home, it is important that you give yourself the proper framework to look after yourself from day one. It’s also important to find out if your employer has any mental health support options available and to be upfront about needing a day off if you are struggling.
Watch Your Caffeine And Snacks Intake
One of the joys and difficulties of working from home is that the kitchen is right there. You can pop in and make a nice coffee and grab a snack whenever you want. However, we all know that too much caffeine can lead to frazzled nerves and big crashes, and that overdoing the sugary snacks will lead to a comedown and lethargy in the long run. Try to make sure that you have some healthy snacks on hand and switch to decaf if you start to feel those nerves fraying.
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