Tips & Tricks to make working from home work even better

Working from home has created a new dimension in our work. For some this will go smoothly, for others it may not. Need tips to make working from home work even better for you? You can read them below!

1. Organize your work-from-home day

We all know how a day can sometimes be chaotic, not only in the office but also when we work from home. The advantage of working from home: you have control over how you want your day to look. Take advantage of that! By organizing your working day from home in such a way that it suits you, you can cycle through your day productively. A few tips:

• Maintain your own daily routine: get up at the same time as you normally do, drink your coffee, get dressed, have breakfast – and then go to work. That helps you get into your 'work mode'.
• Create your 'Go to Work' home office: provide a home workplace where you can sit comfortably and concentrate, with a good chair and a table without unnecessary clutter. You don't have a pile of old newspapers on your desk at the office, do you? No, probably not. So make sure you have a comfortable, tidy and organized workplace that helps you work comfortably.
• Dealing with private noise: working from home when there are others around you can be disruptive. Therefore, make agreements together about when you can and cannot be reached. But also take advantage of it: your day working from home is the day to have a nice lunch together. And if you get distracted by other chores: don't do them unless you would have done them if you were in the office.

2. Stay fit and vital during your working day from home

Your health matters! So don't put it second. Everyone benefits from a happy and healthy you: by taking good care of yourself - even during your work-from-home day - you can also continue to take good care of your work and others. Do you find it difficult to hit the brakes in time? These are a few small tips that can make a big difference when you work from home:

• Take breaks: you may have the tendency to work continuously at home, but that does not make you more productive. In fact, by taking small breaks you ensure that your mind is fresh to continue. So don't forget to take small breaks between tasks. Do you find it difficult to take them? Then set an alarm for yourself on your phone.
• Don't skip lunch: taking good care of yourself means eating well and consciously. You have just as much right to take a lunch break at home as you do at the office. The advantage of working from home: you can make your lunch even tastier or fresher!
• Log out at the end of the working day: switching off from work at the end of your working day allows your brain to relax for a while and is no longer busy with that one email that still needs to be sent. Set clear end times for your work and then put it out of reach at home: log off the laptop and close it.

3. Stay connected with colleagues

Sometimes you may prefer to work from home to work undisturbed, without (well-intentioned) disruptive colleagues. But working from home does not mean that you have to miss social contact with others. You can also keep in touch at home, although in a different way. So a few tips:

• Collaborate from home: you probably have agreements with your team about how you communicate with each other during the week. Are these agreements also available for working from home? Discuss with your team how you can work well together from home. Maybe an online start to the day will work for you: going through the day together online for fifteen minutes with everyone joining in, whether you work from home or at the office.
• Effective online meetings: it is nice when an online meeting goes smoothly, so prepare them: what is the purpose of this meeting? What is the agenda? Make sure that you are not distracted by other things in the house during your meeting (although seeing a cat walking through the screen also makes for fun stories).
• Take some time to catch up: that keeps it so fun! Have that coffee machine chat when you work from home, whether it's at the start of a meeting or during a phone call. That makes your work a lot more enjoyable and keeps you involved with colleagues.