With the ongoing uncertainty around the spread of COVID, more people once again find themselves in a working-from-home situation. Here are 10 long-term work from home tips to make your environment and daily schedule as comfortable and productive as possible.

Work from home tips to give you work-life balance

There are many things you could do to set up a working from home environment that allows you to feel comfortable and remain productive. Here are the best ten work from home tips to get you productive in 2022.

Working location

If you have a dedicated working space such as a study or an office, you are very fortunate. Many people have been working from home in cramped, uncomfortable conditions, working from a kitchen table or makeshift desk that doubles as an ironing board!

If you are working from home for an extended period, it’s important to ensure that you get a comfortable set up that’s conducive to you producing good quality work. Having the right working environment helps you to avoid problems such as eye strain, repetitive strain injury (RSI) or back problems that can occur when the ergonomics aren’t right.

If possible, set your work area up in a location where you can shut yourself off from the rest of the household, so that you can focus on your work, and you don’t disturb or get disturbed by others.

Computer and monitor

Your computer and monitor should be of sufficiently high quality to enable you to work at your usual rate and avoid issues such as computer crashes or flickering from the screen. If your company is expecting you to work from home long-term then they should be providing you with the right quality equipment. It’s a good idea to get a large monitor, at least 25-27 inches so you aren’t straining your eyes working on a laptop long-term. These are less expensive than you might imagine so even if you must pay for it yourself, it’s well worth the investment to protect your eyesight.

Your monitor should be at the correct height to prevent you slouching. Aim for about 25% of the screen to be above eye level for optimum viewing.

Desk

Your desk should give you plenty of space to spread out your work materials and hold your mouse and keyboard securely. In addition, it must be positioned at the correct height so that your arms are parallel to the floor and your wrists aren’t bent up or down as you type.

Chair

The chair you use needs to fully support your back whilst you work. Dining room or kitchen chairs are not suitable for long-term work from home. Invest in an office chair that is adjustable and has lumbar support to avoid getting back pain and strain.

Lighting

One of the most overlooked aspects of getting a good working from home set up is good lighting. Ideally your desk should not be right next to a window as this can cause glare on the screen which can lead to eyestrain and headaches. Overhead lighting is usually best although you can also use desk lamps to give additional light that you can direct onto your work or your keyboard.

Internet

There’s nothing more frustrating when you have a work deadline to meet and the internet drops out. One of the best work from home tips is to get reliable, fast broadband. 50Mbps is the minimum speed you should aim for, and if you have several people using the internet at the same time, then you will need a higher-speed service.

If possible, connect your computer to your router via an Ethernet cable as this will provide better bandwidth if you are doing work which requires uploading and downloading of significant volumes of data.

Phone

Separating your home life from work can be much more challenging when you are working from home. Why not consider getting a phone just for work calls that you can switch off in the evenings, weekends and when you are on holiday. If you don’t want the expense of an additional handset, you can use VOIP (voice-over IP) providers such as Skype or Google for work calls and keep your mobile purely for personal.

Your start of day routine

It’s a good idea to create a working routine that you stick to each day. That will make it easy to separate work from home life. This could be having a cup of tea or coffee, doing some yoga or going for a run but be consistent and that will help you overcome any procrastination that you might have about getting started.

Breaks during the day

Burnout is all too easy when you are working from home and there’s no-one else to regulate your hours. You are probably starting work earlier than you used to and finishing later – all that time spent commuting is now being spent working. Another of the best work from home tips is to make sure you take breaks during the day. Build in 10 minutes in between meetings to stretch your legs and back, get a drink, visit the toilet and take your eyes off the screen. It’s important for your mental health as well as physical to take a break of at least 30 minutes in the middle of your workday to allow your brain and body to recharge. Consider going for a walk or just sitting outside if you have a garden and make sure to eat and hydrate too.

Your end of day routine

Equally important is your end of work routine. Do something each day that signals you are finishing work. This could be taking your dog out for a walk, going to the gym or playing with your kids. This is your brain’s cue to wind down for the day.

Time off

It’s all too easy to let working life spill over into home life when you are no longer going to the office. Try not to work longer and longer hours late into the evening or on weekends.

If you aren’t well, you aren’t well. Just because you can drag yourself to your computer because it’s in the same building, doesn’t mean that you should. Finally, make sure you take your full quota of paid holidays too.

If you’ve found this list of work from home tips useful, why not check out my 24 Admin tips to help you achieve more.

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