In short: Working from home works when you treat it like work. Set up a dedicated, tidy space, keep fixed hours, plan each day with a to-do list, take short breaks, stay in touch with your team and clients, and agree clear boundaries with the people you live with.
Written by Muhammad Sohail, CEO and Managing Partner at Alif Accounting & Tax Consultants.
What is a home office?
For many people employed by modern, digital companies, working from home is nothing new. The COVID-19 pandemic gave many others their first experience of it, and for a lot of businesses some form of remote or hybrid working has stayed.
Some employers, more used to traditional ways of working, view this with scepticism and question how effectively people handle their day-to-day tasks remotely. With the right habits, they needn’t worry. Here are my top 10 suggestions for getting the most out of working from home.
1. Get comfortable
Start with your “office” space. Wouldn’t it be great to have a huge office with a giant desk overlooking a quiet park or the sea? Let’s face it, that is unlikely for most of us, but you are in the driver’s seat for your home office. Design it with productivity in mind.
Find a quiet corner: from now on, this is your dedicated work area. If possible, paint it a different colour to make it a separate space. If not, make your desk more personal with plants or photos of friends and family. Choose nothing too distracting, just something peaceful to look at, and leave enough space to work comfortably.
2. Allow yourself little breaks
In the office, we don’t think twice about a quick chat with a colleague while grabbing a coffee. Those little breaks help productivity. After a short pause you recover from stress and come back with new ideas or a different perspective. So don’t be too strict with yourself. If you feel isolated, call a friend or colleague and have a chat.
3. Anything that doesn’t pay rent can take a hike
If you don’t have much space at home, get rid of the clutter and make a habit of keeping your home office clean. Half-read books, empty coffee cups, dried-out pens: who needs them? A clear desk helps you stay focused.
4. Structure your day
At work we have a start and an end point. At home you save the commute, so find working hours that suit you and stick to them. When working remotely, it is easy to work longer and without breaks. Give yourself structure and set alarms for the start and end of your working day.
5. To-do lists will make you happy
Write a daily to-do list and record what you achieve each day. Alone at home, you may feel you didn’t get enough done. Seeing it written down brings the happy realisation of how much you actually accomplished.
6. Connect with your team and customers
Depending on your family life, home working can feel either too lonely or too busy, but never forget you are part of a team. Stay connected with colleagues and customers. Hold virtual meetings, coffee breaks or brainstorming sessions together.
7. Have a purpose
List the tasks you need to complete every day, and then do them. Make sure everything you need to get your work done is available, whether at your desk or on your computer, and cross items off as you go.
8. Dress as if you are going to work
Keep your daily routine. Get up at your normal time and get dressed as you would for the office. A call with a customer can easily turn into a video conference, and you wouldn’t want to appear in your pyjamas, would you?
9. Set expectations
This may be the hardest point, because you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Set expectations with your spouse, partner, friends or flatmates during the working day. They need to know you are working, just as if you had gone to the office.
10. Have virtual meeting guidelines
If you feel you are over-communicating, you may only be communicating just enough. Join every meeting and contribute, turn your camera on whenever possible (including one-to-ones), post regular updates in your team chat, and send your manager a short daily update: what you are working on, what went well and where you need help.
And finally
Maintain your relationships. When people work apart, staying connected matters more than ever. If you manage a team, watch for signs that someone is becoming isolated: your introverts may need a gentle nudge. Send a short message, even if it is just “thinking of you”. Sometimes it is the small things that count.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stay productive when working from home?
Use a dedicated workspace, keep fixed working hours, plan each day with a to-do list and take short, regular breaks.
How do I stop working too late at home?
Set alarms for the start and end of your working day, and close your workspace at the end of it, as you would leave an office.
How can remote teams stay connected?
Hold regular video meetings, keep an active team chat, send short daily updates and make time for informal virtual coffee breaks.
Get help from Alif
Alif is an accounting and tax firm in Dubai. We help businesses run their finance function remotely, with cloud accounting and Zoho set up so your team can work from anywhere. Book a free consultation to discuss your needs.