As Vibe Manager, people are at the heart of what I do, and there’s been some big changes about how people work lately. Luckily, we’ve got a bit of experience working from home already…. So, we asked our crew to send us tips and tricks about working from home. Here’s what they had to say:
Maintain routine, get ready in the morning like you would any other working day, wake up, have breakfast and get dressed for work
Block out lunch breaks in your calendar and ensure you take them
Have a realistic to do list and to manage your time effectively
Revisit your to do list throughout the day and keep it regularly updated
Carve out time in your calendar to focus on your tasks, prioritise the tasks and ensure anything not achieved that day is moved higher in the priority list for the following day
Agree on work/life boundaries with your family and friends. Ensure they understand that even though you are working from home, you are still working as if you were in the office
Use Outlook calendar to do list and appointments to keep yourself on track
Work in blocks – set shorter timeframes taking regular breaks
Start work early so you can finish earlier this way you have more time to spend with your family
Keep an eye on the time, personal and work time can easily become blurred
Make sure you disconnect when the working day is over and focus on “me” time
MENTAL & PHYSICAL HEALTH
Play vinyl over Spotify/streaming music between calls when in focus mode
Keep regular contact with the crew, Set 15 mins per day to talk to 1 colleague and rotate through the week
Create a WhatsApp group with your immediate team and have it running from a web interface, use this to chat and joke throughout the day, this lightens up the day
Switch on the camera when having Teams meetings and engage face to face
Play with the little ones at home during your break
Staying connected with the crew is crucial for mental wellbeing
Celebrate your achievements each day, be proud of the work you have achieved
Stand up and walk around as much as possible, it is easy to sit at a home desk for the full day. Take the dog for a walk, do some exercise and clear your mind.
Be kind and empathetic to each other, some crew who are not used to working at home may find isolation over the coming weeks very difficult. Ensure you check in on each other
Allow yourself to acknowledge that this is a tough time, its natural to feel concerned and sometimes not in the right head-space
Don’t leave snacks or drinks at your desk so you will need to stand up and walk for some exercises when you need them
Stand up in meetings (where appropriate) and stretch your legs
Stay hydrated
ENVIRONMENTAL
Ensure you have a dedicated “office” space set up, somewhere quiet so you can focus and have a privacy for colleague, customer and partner calls
Be mindful of background noise when on calls
If you can, work where there is a view, this makes you feel less enclosed
Always keep a surplus of coffee on hand!
Where possible, have some variety in your work space i.e. work outside in the sunshine for a little bit
Use the right tools, have monitors set up correctly, a good UC headset (wireless if possible so you can move around on calls, support your feet if using a stand up desk etc.
Don’t allow yourself to be distracted, work time is work time. Switch of the Netflix and focus during your “work hours”
Do not work in your bedroom, but in an area of the house that you typically wouldn’t spend much time – this way it feels a little more separate to your personal space
Set up your desktop ergonomically
Make sure you laptop is fully charged and your charger is always within handy reach
