Home office done right: 10 tips and tricks for more relaxed working from home 

How to get your day in the home office off to a good start... 

For those of us who work in an office, a normal day can look like this: The alarm clock goes off, you get up, eat breakfast, head to work, grab a coffee, check your emails, and then attend your first meeting. But if you work in the home office, you might set your alarm clock to go off a bit later. And you might not have to squeeze into an overcrowded bus or get stuck in traffic. Despite the occasional pluses of the home office, it also helps to give structure to your day by adopting certain routines. Have set times for when you start working, take breaks and stop working can help facilitate your workflow. 

...and how to “close down” the home office at the end of the day!” 

Working in a home office doesn’t mean more work. Even though you enjoy more flexibility in terms of how you structure your working hours, regulations regarding the statutory working time still apply when you are working from home. You should therefore make sure that you correctly log your working hours in gfos. And once you have finished your work, shut your laptop, put your pen aside, and switch off your phone. After all, even if you are working in a home office, you still get to call it a day! 

Staying disciplined 

Did you just wince for a second? Yes, discipline has a pretty old-fashioned image, as we associate it with order, drills and inspections. But things are different in a home office, as we have to be something like “our own boss”. That makes it all the more important to stay concentrated and disciplined while working on our projects. At home, there are a lot of things that can keep us from working ... the dirty dishes, the Netflix subscription and, by the way, the windows could really use a good cleaning, too... Given all these potential distractions, it’s a good idea to make a “to do” list so that you can prioritize your tasks, set deadlines for them, and then check them off once they are done. Doing so will help you to do your work without unnecessary stress. 

On top of everything else, there’s another thing that many parents are having to deal with now: With daycare centres and schools closed, children now have to be looked after at home. It’s important to have a plan for this, too. What’s the best way to split one’s day up into “parenting phases” and “working phases”? Involving your children in making schedules is a good idea, as it gives them a certain “buy-in” and helps them to be more understanding when Mom or Dad needs a bit a peace to work in a concentrated manner. As a matter of principle, all team members should keep their calm when dealing with this atypical situation in addition to providing as much support as possible to any colleagues who are trying their best to juggle work and family obligations at home. After all, kids will still be kids, and we all know that Plan A doesn’t always work! :-) 

Communication 

Interacting with our colleagues – whether by chatting at our desks, grabbing a quick coffee, or meeting up for lunch – is no problem at work. But things are different at home. However, under no circumstances should home office be viewed as some kind of house arrest. So try to hold any planned meetings as video conferences and organize regular team meetings in which all colleagues can participate. 

Teamwork 

The home office is all about teamwork. That might sound a bit odd, but it’s true! Precisely the fact that we cannot see our colleagues and sometimes can’t even discuss something with them makes teamwork all the more important. Define your tasks clearly, allocate responsibilities accordingly, keep up to date on any progress made or difficulties encountered, ensure transparent communication, use collaboration tools and let your colleagues know how and when you can – or cannot – be reached!

Recharging your batteries 

For many of us, lunch is a fixed item on our daily agenda. Whether with colleagues or alone, lunchtime is often the first chance we get in the day to relax and recharge our batteries. The same should apply even if you are working in the home office. So take the time to enjoy a proper lunch break! And please try to avoid eating lunch at your desk. It’s bad for your anyway :-) 

Creative breaks 

OK, so your home office is all set up. You’re working on your project. You’re completely focused. Nothing is distracting you from your task. But then it happens: You experience “creativity block”. You’ve hit a wall, and everything grinds to a halt. Thus, the same should apply even if you are working in the home office: Take regular breaks. An afternoon coffee, a breath of fresh air in the garden or a park, a walk around the block, or simply looking out the window – short breaks stimulate creativity and performance.

Minimizing stress 

The home office is all about trust. It’s about having confidence in your colleagues, your team, your abilities – and a modern working culture. Emails don’t have to be answered in real time, you can miss the occasional call, and there’s no need to send unnecessary mails just to prove that you are still there, still “online”. 

Exercising 

What does your home office share in common with your normal office? You sit. A lot and for a long time. In fact, over the course of his or her career, the average office worker will spend about 80,000 hours in the office, most of them seated. That makes it all the more important for you to not forget about stretching your legs every so often while you are working from home. So take short breaks to incorporate some exercise into your daily work routine. Whether taking a walk around the block, briefly standing instead of sitting while you work, or walking to the store – keep in mind that exercise improves your health and concentration.