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Plus, there’s plenty to appreciate about skipping the commute to work, which often adds more time and stress to the day. While things you need to work from home it may be tempting to say “yes” to every job you’re offered, try to balance your side gigs, regular job, and free time.
Even when you’re working from home, good noise-canceling headphones are a worthy investment if you have to share space with others. Stav Ziv, a senior editor at The Muse, made the case pre-pandemic for why it’s worth splurging on a pair of your own for work and other settings. Whether you opt for a fancy big-screen monitor or prop up your laptop on a stand , the external keyboard and mouse combo will make it easier to work comfortably for a prolonged period of time. Back in the office, we were all used to working on large computer monitors rather than plugging away on 13-inch laptops. During the pandemic, many on our team were eager to recreate this setup at home. If you find yourself with a bit of spare time in your workday, spend it wisely by looking for causes and people to help. Donate to a charity, volunteer your time, or even, reach out to your company!
A yoga/stretching mat to counteract hours hunched over the computer
I’ve made a more efficient, comfortable, and accommodating workspace for myself at home than I’ve ever had at The Verge’s office. In your home, you have more control over where you choose to work, so if possible, choose a space near a window. And if you don’t have much natural light in your space, use lamps to boost the brightness. Just as too much blue light from our screens can keep us up at night, a healthy dose of bright artificial light during the day can also help keep our 24-hour internal clock in sync. When you work from home, you can be like those workers in the study who controlled their own workspace — and create a sensory landscape that works for you.
When working in an office, your morning commute can help you wake up and feel ready to work by the time you get to your desk. At home, however, the transition from your pillow to your computer can be much more jarring.
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I also started to take a long walk in the park at the end of every day. In the summer, I’d print out the latest draft and take it with me and sit in the shade while marking it up. In the winter, I’d do this at the kitchen island after coming home. Some people love working from home, and they can’t imagine anything better than a day with their laptop clad in pajama pants. Others miss the structure and the casual chats with coworkers that happen at their offices. Whether you love it or hate it, working remote — for those who can do it; not every job lends itself to this kind flexibility — is common for many of us due to the pandemic. Working remotely, or being a remote worker, can also become a mindset of sorts.
- And at work, the best playlists are diverse playlists — you can listen to music that matches the energy of the project you’re working on to boost your productivity.
- Shop around for some of these products; they’ll likely make your life a whole lot simpler.
- Some people love working from home, and they can’t imagine anything better than a day with their laptop clad in pajama pants.
- If you struggle to keep house plants alive, consider some fake house plants.
- And if you keep it nearby, you can pick it up whenever you have a spare sec.
Workspaces have traditionally been designed based on the belief that to maximize productivity you need to minimize distraction, leading to bland, featureless spaces. And if the workers have control over the placement of things in their workspace? The flexibility of home work means, though, that you can largely move when you want to. Try setting a timer for a yoga or workout to break up a long email session. While writing my book Joyful, I took impromptu dance breaks whenever I was stuck on a section, which cleared my head but would’ve been hard to do in the office.
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Compile a binder or folder with important documents, numbers, passwords, and contacts that you always seem to forget or misplace. Keep everything together to avoid combing through your desk drawers the next time you need to re-enter that wifi pin number you set up five years ago. Every message has a place, and you’ll feel lighter just knowing where to find them. It’s almost scary how easy it is to let your email inbox get out of hand. But much like the relentless power of mother nature, if left to its own devices, your inbox can quickly grow beyond your means of control if you don’t tend to it daily. At this very moment, you might even be reading this post while on a lag at work—which is great!
