The home office promises a lot of freedom in everyday working life, but if you don’t stick to certain rules, it’s not just your work that suffers. However, the most common mistakes when working from home can be easily avoided.
Important general conditions in the home office
Anyone who regularly works from home or is forced to do so due to the Corona crisis is very likely to experience the advantages of working from home. You save time because you don’t have to go to and from work, it’s practical and convenient.
But working from home also leads to inefficiency, and it is more difficult to literally leave work in the office in order to be able to switch off properly. But these sources of error can be easily avoided if you are aware of how the home office should be designed.
The wrong outfit
The alarm clock rings, you jump out of bed in your pajamas, make your first coffee and sit back in bed to work on your laptop. But here lies the first mistake, because an outfit that is too comfortable leads to unproductivity and fatigue.
By dressing too casually, you convey to yourself that this is not a regular work day. This attitude means that daily tasks are not completed quickly enough and at the same time self-esteem drops. Accordingly, you should at least wear jeans or something similar when working from home.
Not an adequate workplace
When you work in your pajamas, the longing for the bed or the couch is even greater. But a suitable workplace is the be-all and end-all in the home office. This not only improves the effectiveness of work, it also makes it easier to separate the work environment and private life.
In addition, the body would suffer if one did not work in a traditional workplace. A table and an ergonomic chair are a must for the home office; if a study is also available, optimal conditions are created.
Constant working hours
The daily routine should be maintained even when working from home, getting up at the same time and starting work at the same time. The morning routine can be extended to accommodate no travel, but the rest of the working day should be clearly structured like in the office.
This means that if you normally work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the break takes place between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., then this schedule should also be adhered to when working from home.
Access to the required software
Few things make work more inefficient than inadequate software. If the work laptop or workstation at home does not have all the necessary programs and access that are common in the office, this makes work more difficult or sometimes impossible.
Stable access to all relevant data and platforms should therefore be established in advance. This is the only way to ensure a seamless transition between the office and home office.
Communication with colleagues
If communication with colleagues is neglected in the home office, it not only creates a feeling of isolation, but efficiency may also suffer. Work processes must be coordinated with team members even when working from home; video conferences and meetings can and should continue to take place.
Communication via company chats also allows constant exchange with colleagues; if this is taken into account, it makes little difference from where the work is carried out.
Henry Ely, editorial team finanzen.net
