How's working from home going for ya? Struggling? Our team has a few top tips that have been helping us get through, and while the odd glass of wine seems to be a regular thing for us, it hasn't actually made it to the top tips list! What has then? Read on to find out...

1. Keep it social & make sure you have good systems to work with

  • Have multiple video conferencing options downloaded and set up in case one does not work. In the past 7 days we have used; Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Whereby.com, Google Hangouts, FB Messenger (for our Soda ops team). MS Teams just launched the blur out background option for those that don't have an ideal background from their WFH station. Rachel says, "I wish they'd all have a filter on them so you don't have to put makeup on."  
  • Set a team catch up everyday at the same time - ours in 10am each day. This helps maintain culture, gives clarity and maintains accountability and regularity.  
  • Have a few group chats. We use FB messenger, but there are so many to choose from. One that is operational and one that is fun and banter related. This keeps quick q's out of email. 
  • Make sure you have a good task management system set up. We use Teamwork but again there are plenty - Slack, Trello, Monday.com, Asana etc.
  • If you don't have all your shared files in the cloud, now is the time to do it - Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox etc.

2. Over communicate

  • This is not to micro manage, but to ensure the each person in the team still has line of site and feels part of the “greater whole”.  

3. Ground rules

  • Set some parameters and ground rules for others if they are also at home with you (not working). This will help minimise distractions and enable you to be productive and focused when you are working.

4. Schedule breaks

  • Don’t short change yourself on lunch break and use tea/coffee pauses to break up the monotony of sitting at the keyboard in one place or on a headset/phone.

5. Keep a dedicated office space (if possible)

6. Maintain regular hours

  • Set a schedule and stick to it.
  • Create a routine that starts and ends your working day.
  • Set up a with a good cup of coffee or tea and take 15 minutes to get into a good headspace.
  • Erin says, "my end of day routine is to clear my desk away; write a to do list of 2 things I want to achieve the next day that are important (not urgent) to work on.  I also “shut down” my computer rather than just let it go to sleep. It is symbolic and signals to me work is done for the day. Full stop."

7. Take advantage of the perks

  • Working from home comes with unique perks.  Take advantage of them.  
  • It may be the ability to bake a loaf of bread - because you can and enjoy it!  You now have ability to pop something in the oven;
  • Or you may just get the satisfaction that you can keep on top of laundry… no pile to wrangle on a Saturday morning when you can get it washed and dried with ease on a daily basis.  Do whatever rocks your boat!