Working from home tips

Haha ... I remember that.

... wife works from home already.

As RNP has already posted the M&W vid…
Have a proper office set up, ideally in a room that is only used for work. Crouching over a laptop on the dining table will make for a miserable experience, pretty quickly.

Do you already have the coffee machine and grinder sorted?

I've got coffee plants growing in the garden if that counts?

So… coffee roaster sorted?

... tbh i can't be arsed 🙁

Yes since covid we currently (as we’ve just taken over another IT firm so who knows) 99% work from home.

As said, your own space. Take regular breaks, being a new Dad it’s harder for me but remember to try get out when you can. I remember getting to Thursday some weeks then realising I’m feeling rubbish and it’s because I’ve not been outside for a walk in 4 days…

Always morning coffee, you will start hating teams, I find I work harder at home with no distractions if family aren’t here. Some deal with it better than others tbh, I love being close to my new family however I do also love the days when we do get to go in and see the people you used to sit near, get drinks with, have a laugh with before work.

Don’t be like me though, and take regular breaks. Coming into Spring/Summer is a great time to start, being able to get outside if you have a garden is soul enriching. I used to do yoga before work and before little un… go for a ride but that’s all changed. Those times will return I just have to wait…. Or get out at 6am for a ride 😂

Keen to see how you get on and if I can learn any tips from anyone else

As above, proper setup in a separate room that you won’t normally use

Take breaks . It’s so easy to work longer hours. Make sure you take a lunch break again in a separate room. Ask yourself if you would still be working at the the time of day if you had been commuting to and from work

Exercise - you will be exercising far less. You need to somehow plan some in. I don’t mean going for a run/ bike ride , just a walk.

Social interaction- you may hate everyone in the physical office but you still need social interaction and wfh it’s easy to become more insular

Work - takes some getting used to. Many of the more ‘difficult’ conversations don’t happen via a screen imo, so issues go unchecked. It’s a skill to learn to challenge and get resolution on line . There is definitely still a place for face to face discussions/ group meetings if issues are arising

I have friends who still work from laptop screens and keyboards. I'm not sure how they do this or why.

I have an external screen 27", a jabra so I don't have to wear headphones for long periods. A keyboard, mouse and sit/stand desk. Then there's the music provision to think about.

I tried commuting to my desk. There's an hour's road loop from my door that's decent fun so I did that some days before starting.

Get a comfy chair.

I loved it!

Dedicated office away from family life if possible. Be strict with yourself, no checking emails answering or making calls outside of work hours assuming your job allows you to do this. Exercise breaks regularly, one thing I should do more of. If you get a gap in work and it's quiet don't feel guilty for doing non work related items to fill the time instead. Remember you're not on call 24 7( unless you actually are of course). It's great, listen to what you want on the radio. Can be easy to over procrastinate i.e. this forum, wiggle deals etc so a good working day structure helps.

I tried commuting to my desk. There’s an hour’s road loop from my door that’s decent fun so I did that some days before starting.

I did that a lot in the early (Covid) days. Was so used to getting up at that time and an hour's ride to work that it was easy to just carry that on. Also I managed to get back into the office fairly early on and get an office chair, big monitor, keyboard, USB hub etc and actually set up a proper office which made a huge difference.
Still got it all and my home office is a considerably better set-up than my current employer provides in their actual office!

I have a nice pair of speakers and a rode desktop mike set up. Soooooo much nicer than wearing a headset with the side benefit of feeling like a youtuber.

Ignore the rest of them, i sit on the sofa and a laptop, i'm perfectly happy 🙂

Your own space.

Proper desk set up - proper chair, enough screens and space etc. I'm not sure quite what happens to WFH/DSE upper limb disorders in the coming years, but the employer still has a responsibility.

Take breaks, even if it's to hang the washing out.

If work allows, enjoy the benefits - start early, work later, have an hour on the bike if its a sunny morning.

Kerp in touch with colleagues/build relationships, otherwise it can be isolating.

Enjoy the peace and quiet if that's your thing, enjoy your own background noise if it isn't.

Not all of us flourish WFH. I hate it, work better in the office. I am in the minority, I know.

It depends a bit on your workload. Mine is all over the place with crit sits followed by extended periods of boredom, not helped by my lack of focus unless under pressure. When I can't focus, I tend to sit and surf mindlessly or read random stuff or plan DIY projects and the like, but I feel like I can't just leave and do something else out of guilt. But I find that things go better if I do what I need to do and then properly leave my desk and do something else, whatever is weighing on my mind. I have a real problem being at home all the time because when I'm here I'm thinking about all the jobs I could be doing in the house or activities I could be doing. If I were at an office I'd have no choice.

Not all of us flourish WFH. I hate it, work better in the office. I am in the minority, I know.

I might if my office were nearby and contained my team-mates.  But I don't really work with them directly and commuting is shit.  I don't flourish with isolation.  WFH when you're focused on a group task, and/or you can go in and see people or visit customers etc when needed is a completely different thing to permanent isolation.

I'm ancient and this wouldn't have applied 20 years ago but: big screen, decent chair and do actually look at some H&S advice on positioning of screen etc. or risk getting a slightly stiff neck. Chair doesn't have to be an office one.

And get out for a short walk/ride in daylight. I'm better at saying this than doing it.

As others have said, all too easy to work over your hours.
Block out a lunch break in Outlook and get out for a walk.
MS Teams can be a nightmare, getting added into chats that dont concern you, I have had to force myself to not respond in such chats.
All depending on your role, make sure your desk is big enough, i was cramped onto a ikea home office desk which was causing all sorts of back pain etc.
If you can go into work at least one day a week, just to catch up witb people, otherwise i found it pretty isolating.
Lastly i found my commute was my decompress time, working from home, my mind was still racing. I now go for a walk or do half an hour on the PS4.

Some things like having a proper setup are obvious. The harder ones are making sure you still go outside in daylight in the winter, and also allowing yourself proper breaks. Remember if in an office you would be chatting to people whilst you make a drink etc - don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to be 100% productive 100% of the time just because you're at home. An effective break will make sure you're sustainably productive. 2 things I used - taking a lap of the block midway through the morning, and taking meetings in the garden if I don't have to talk much on them

I've been largely WFH for over ten years now. What I've found to be important over time is:

* An office with a door that shuts. Somewhere you can set up permanently for work, and a space separate from normal living space.

* Decent ergonomics. Separate screen and keyboard/mouse, set up to give good posture. Good chair. For me, stand/sit, and a good standing mat is important for that IME.

* Isolating headphones. I have some Jabra ones with noise cancellation. They were a gift, and I suspect a bit spendy, but they're great for focus: even without noise cancellation enabled they help me lock into tasks, and they're great for conference call type stuff.

* Physical comfort. Your home maybe won't be heated all day when it's cold in winter, and may not have aircon when it's hot in summer. Relatively minimal tweaks to be able to keep comfortable helps make the day go more smoothly.

* Social contact. For me not such a problem as my family generally are at home, but extended periods of working on your own day in day out can grind, it's something to be aware of at least.

* Moving about. Sit/stand helps, but getting outside for a walk every day (at least) is important. I usually get that on the school run but in school holidays it's something I have to consciously schedule in.

Get those things right, modulo personal preferences, etc, and its grand. Lean into the flexibility if possible: you can get a lot of chores done in lunch breaks, etc, leaving more time for fun in the evenings/weekends. Maybe you can take a 2-3hr lunch break for an MTB ride and work until 10pm.

don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have to be 100% productive

Trust me I've never done that. I write this on my totally unproductive twice weekly commute into the office, so I guess I'm not a real home worker.

On social contact (not that I rely on work for this) - I took on a large handful of people into my team over covid, took on new areas of work etc, and now we're er blended, I can't remember whom I've actually met in person or just know from Teams etc, and it makes zero difference to quality of relationships, who I want to talk to etc.

Get a dog.

I've been working form home near enough full time since COVID and having a dog is the best thing ever. Every day, without fail, I get a 30min walk before work. Sometimes I don't want to go, but I always feel better for doing it. Then, most lunchtimes I walk or ride with the dog, then decompress with a walk after work.

Also, be strict with yourself about not logging on to work after hours. You need honest separation from work and family time.

Dogs are ace. Get a dog.

That last is a very good point. I realised yesterday at 1630 that I had forgotten to stop for lunch and had just slammed food into my face with a spoon at about 11am. It's too easy to just work when there are not things like a staff canteen or co-workers asking you if you want a coffee.

Summer is easier, I can go out on the bike for an hour or something, but winter means snow and ice on the roads and I am not doing that during lunchtime.

Congrats on your new job!

I love remote working but the one thing I oddly missed was the commute time to clear my head/decompress. So I make sure I go for a walk before starting and ideally do something afterwards like 30mins on zwift afterwards (in reality I manage this a couple of times a week).

Unlike others I don’t set strict hours. One of the joys of remote working for me is having flexible hours ymmv.

Eat when you want. You are free from the tyranny of 3 meals per day! I have breakfast/lunch when I get hungry, usually around 11:30.

A main office is good if you have the space. Especially if you have kids. Spend time and money making it somewhere you want to spend a lot of time.

But move about if you feel like you are losing focus. Or get out of the house. Some companies will let you expense co-working spaces, or just sit in your favourite cafe every so often.

I try and think of it as remote working, rather than working from home. Subtle but different mindset.

If it’s just the two of you and you are both remote workers, make the most of it, we’d be off travelling all over the place!

Try not to turn into a hermit. Get to the offsites and socials. Remote is great for getting things done but can become transactional if you don’t put effort into relationships. Have more 1:1 meetings than you are comfortable with.

Hopefully your company has some ways of doing this - they may feel forced but any face time with colleagues is valuable.

Is your whole company full remote or is it a hybrid situation?

Id love a separate work office. No chance i'm buying a new house or spending a years salary on an extension. Just not practical for me.

Same here… the idea of having an office room is a lovely sounding luxury to me.

A playstation for a quick game of Rocket League during a teams meeting you need to listen to is a boon...

Came on to say that H doesn't have to mean H, and changes of scenery like a coffee shop are great, but see Thebunk beat me too it

Also, for some of the social interaction, you can set up a teams to chat while you work on other stuff. Doesn't necessarily need to be a colleague, but could be a friend who also gets bored WFH

All the other stuff about decent setup is spot on

Enjoy it with the mindset to make the most of the benefits

up your credit card limit and keep an eye on wiggle..

in seriousness, if you have a spare room, put a desk in, close it off, dont work more hours than you are paid, chill and relax.. playing banging house music or rock, listen to jeremy vine and chunter.

It’s too easy to just work

Not for me!  As above, I don't have an office, just a corner of the bedroom which is only just big enough.  I keep meaning to take my laptop and a chair into the woods to spend the day working there, but I haven't had the courage yet.  I did once head out on a ride whilst forgetting to check my calendar, then my Garmin popped up telling me I had a call in 1 minute.  I got some funny looks from a few other MTBers as I sat in the woods talking about IT.

One thing that helped me was pinging my colleagues about random shite.  There's two or three people I know well enough to do this. One is a cyclist, we talk shit about bikes and riding all the time and constantly try and persuade each other to buy bikes we know we never will.

I don't consider myself an extrovert - the opposite in fact - but year on year the isolation does get to me.

* Social contact. For me not such a problem as my family generally are at home, but extended periods of working on your own day in day out can grind, it’s something to be aware of at least.

I love having the house to myself, I find it immensely annoying when the family are around. A silent, tidy house is a complete luxury and I never tire of it.

As others have said, all too easy to work over your hours.
Block out a lunch break in Outlook and get out for a walk.

Came here to say this.

I found myself wanting to prove myself, in case someone thought I was slacking off. I wound up working through lunch, grabbing something quick from downstairs and eating at my desk. It's all too easy when you've no other distractions and it's not healthy. In the end I made myself go out at lunchtimes, even if it's just for a walk around the block, anything for a change of scenery. I was actually more productive for having a break rather than powering through for nine hours plus.

Treat yourself to a comfy chair. You're going to be spending a third of your life in it.

If you're sharing a house with others, establish a policy of door closed == do not disturb. When WFH I had my office door open most of the time, but there were times where I was dealing with confidential stuff.

My tips as a long term regular WFHer before Covid and since a job change during the height of Covid, have been officially remote since:

- as others have said, an office space is a MUST for me. A shed in the garden would be better than sitting at the kitchen table etc. With the bustle of day to day life at home, a place to get away and concentrate on work is massively important.
- regular breaks, even if its just for a walk around the block at lunch (as said, dogs are an awesome excuse for this) or 5 minutes flicking through a magazine whilst the kettle is boiling.
- proper monitor and keyboard at a proper desk
- be strict with yourself about your working hours. Its sometimes really easy especially if you're busy to stay at your desk and all of a sudden its 8pm. I tend to start early and finish early which is a trend I see a lot of people doing when WFH.
- someone mentioned social interaction... I have a daily(ish) call with my immediate team which generally isn't about work. Often is just 30 minutes talking about the weekend plans, dogs, pork pies, walking/biking - it keeps me sane from back to back Teams calls.

I treat going into the office now as something special and only go in if I have a specific reason to - no point in travelling 90 minutes to sit on Teams calls in the office all day) but WFH is brilliant - work/life balance is through the roof, not pissing away money on commuting, I have a nice, quiet place where I can (but not always, there are distractions - see below!) power through work at a pace that'd be impossible in a shared office etc. In the summer I'll finish at 4 and be out on the bike in the middle of nowhere or sat by a river in peace and quiet with a fishing rod by 5pm.

Bad things:
- the social side of things. Kinda of remedied by Teams chats with mates at work where there is often talk about anything but work. Luckily my wife is often at home during the day but I can imagine sitting on my own for 8 hours at a time would be pretty boring/difficult.
- distractions - xbox, kettle, TV, the outside, jobs about the house etc. The jobs around the house thing is actually a perk as well though. Dishwasher loading, folding clothes, hoovering etc in those 15 minute breaks. I'm going to paint a bit more of my bathroom at lunch 🙂

My time is supposed to be split 50/50, but I rarely do more than two days a week in the actual office.
From the early onset of the lock-down I have embraced WRH, initially doing a 10 mile commute to my desk each day. I have a home office set up in the box room with extra monitors which suits me.
My work load has become more and more erratic regardless of where I'm working as I have too many tasks across several projects that have equal priority so for me it's no different whether WFH or going to the office.

Wife is a teacher and during half term and summer hols, I go to the actual office full time or I'd never get anything done.

Bastards. We went from 3 days in, 2 WFH to everyone in 5 days, given one week's notice. And that's in a tech company where everyone has a laptop. Missing the good ol' days. Job market's been grim so not the best time to be looking elsewhere

I found myself wanting to prove myself, in case someone thought I was slacking off. I wound up working through lunch, grabbing something quick from downstairs and eating at my desk. It’s all too easy when you’ve no other distractions and it’s not healthy. In the end I made myself go out at lunchtimes, even if it’s just for a walk around the block, anything for a change of scenery. I was actually more productive for having a break rather than powering through for nine hours plus.

I'd done occasional days WFH pre-Covid - usually when I needed to get a specific task done without distractions. Once we were all sent home about a week before it became obvious that we were going to be having lockdowns, work was surprisingly hot on employee welfare, check-ins and the importance of taking breaks. We had quite a good flexi-time recording system in place and they specifically opened up the flexi arrangements to allow much earlier and later working but with the proviso that you did take breaks, employees were not expected to be online 24/7, no emails after 7pm (unless it really was an emergency). They really did look out for people cos some folk really threw themselves into WFH, desperate to show they were all working hard.

Obviously some went the other way too but that got picked up on fairly quickly as well.

My line manager was a very keen runner and he knew I was a cyclist, we often chatted about our exercise - him on his marathon training, me on just normal riding. However he understood very well the value of exercise and in the early days of lockdown / WFH when the weather was nice, I asked if I could ride during lunchtime or do a couple of hours during the day then work later in the evening. He agreed and then the second time I asked he just said "you don't need to ask, just do it".
He knew I wouldn't disappear if there was a meeting or it was a busy time with deadlines but he also said during quieter times he was absolutely fine with me going for a ride; if he did need me he'd leave a message and he knew I'd do the work.

I did SO much cycling in 2020! Quiet roads, good weather, an understanding employer... My Strava is full of rides called "working from bike" or "fake commute"!

I have had a love/hate relationship with working from home - I was 100% office-based up until Covid happened. We have a spare bedroom so I made it into a 'temporary' office (so I never got a full size desk and just a cheap chair). Then I had a mild breakdown that came absolutely out of nowhere in early 2021 and simply had to get out of the house and back into the office. It was weird, getting almost empty trains and sitting in a 1,000 sq ft office by myself but I needed the space. At that time, Government advice was still to WFH if you were able to, but I argued with my business partner and the rest of the team that I was not able to.

Then this year I suddenly realised I was working from home more and more and enjoying it. I am now doing it 4 days a week most weeks but I have now got a full size desk, a proper dedicated space, a good sound set-up (I hate working in silence - I need to have music) and a proper office chair. It's all in a built-in wardrobe so I can close the doors and shut it all away from view.

My 'ickle office

All the above, plus small portable heater so you don't drive yourself nuts trying to get temp right in the whole house etc.

In my experience, no one will be looking to see when you've clocked on and off, so don't worry about everything appearing slack - do what you'd do in the office, break for lunch, chat etc

You'll get a load more rambling meetings, with the constraints of a room booking, various people will go on for ever, so right agenda control and jumping off meetings on the dot. Making your calendar available and watertight helps. When someone's booking a meeting you don't want them to presume you can just keep going.

Sorry, bit grandmother and eggs that last bit, worth taking control!

And comfy desk. For 6mths of lock down my neighbour worked on his laptop, sitting on his bed with ironing board for a desk. He's still getting medical attention for the mess he's made of his back.
Ironically he works in local council who are usually all over the HSE!

Lots of good advise above. A few notes from me some of which have been touched on already. I've been WFH since COVID hit.

1. My commute (car, bike or train) was my thinking/decompressing time. Used to find it really good for mulling things over in my head. I used to leave the house at 7am and get to work for 8am. I tried a pseudo commute for a bit but I'm inherrently lazy, especially in the winter, so I'd rather spend an extra 30-60 minutes in bed 🙁

2. I'm really bad at falling into the trap of rolling out of bed and starting work, this normally happens at 8am. Don't be like me have some time before work.

3. Not specifically a WFH item but since COVID we seem to have way too many teams meetings and teams chats do my head in. People are at risk of writing war and peace in a Teams message. So be really brutal about repsonding to Teams messages when you're focusing. If you ignore them and someone really needs you to pick it up they'll @ you to get your attention or call you. Same goes for accepting meetings.

4. I like it when things are on fire and it's stresfull. Don't know why but that's just the way I'm wired. I hate doing the boring and mundane stuff, so I set dedicated time for it in my Outlook calendar. Then when I've done it I have a bit of a reward, whether that's a 10 minute break, biscuit, or whatever, but helps me focus on the boring stuff.

Mrs and I wfh together, she's upstaris I'm downstairs in the garage with all the bikes and the turbo, it means i can fettle bikes while i'm thinking about things. I think that's a biggie for wfh, something you can do that takes little your mind off work for 5 mins as coffee and a wee takes a lot less time at home. I like my balance board and messing about with kettlebells for similar reasons.

Yoga at lunch is a good one, better if we do it together.

COok more food in the evenings, leftovers for lunch is gooood

I'd endorse most of what is already said about having a dedicated workspace. One extra bit of experience I would throw in is "make it work for you". Some posts have suggested a strict "clock-on/clock-off" regime, others a more flexible approach. There is no right or wrong way, so think about and experiment with what will work for you. Of course, you will also need to consider the culture of your employer in this.

Personally, I appreciate the flexibility and in winter particularly, will use daylight hours to get other things done, from household chores to walking the dogs and then work when its cold and dark outside. That wouldn't suit everyone and their family situation, but is good for my wife and me.

For people who don't have a room to turn into an office, maybe setting up a corner somewhere is possible? Screen work needs decent ergonomics and a change in place helps with focus. IME.

I’d endorse most of what is already said about having a dedicated workspace. One extra bit of experience I would throw in is “make it work for you”. Some posts have suggested a strict “clock-on/clock-off” regime, others a more flexible approach. There is no right or wrong way, so think about and experiment with what will work for you. Of course, you will also need to consider the culture of your employer in this.

+1

Does depend on the nature of the role as well as your work patterns though.

I much preferer to work on shorter tasks that need my attention for a period of time, be completed and then I can move on. That I can do from anywhere, home, office, motorway services, site. And a bit more flexible "as long as the work gets done" mentality.

My actual job though is as an engineer to work through the same deliverables repeatedly, usually for several weeks at a time (e.g. my to-do list is currently 65 half-day items long). That I struggle with the motivation to sit there for 8 hours doing it. And there's ironically less flexibility because it's hourly billing, if I finish that days targeted work in 6 hours, I just have to do the next task on my list.

So I could work from home, but choose not to because my current work doesn't match the way I like to work, so it'd just be procrastination.