Due to the spread of COVID-19, many people—whether by choice or their company’s mandate—changed their work routine to working from home. For some, it was quite a new and challenging experience. It is reasonable and realistic to believe that the pandemic will have a lasting impact on the way we work. When this crisis is over, working from home, at least part of the week, will be the norm for many individuals and organizations.
There are several advantages to working from home, starting with avoiding a stressful commute. For many, home offers a quiet environment. A quiet environment is especially advantageous for those who work in an open space workplace, with lots of noise. But it is often an advantage even for those who have a private office. At home, there are no distractions such as colleagues who knock on your door to ask a question, tell a story, or invite you for coffee or lunch (unless, of course, you’re a parent with young children at home during the day). When working at home, many people feel they are more focused and productive.
Flexibility to set and control your schedule is another big advantage for people who work from home. If you are a morning person, you can wake up early and work for two or three hours and then take a break. If, on the other hand, you are an evening person, you can start working later and then work into the night. However, while most people thrive on having this option, some need a more rigid schedule, especially with the nonstop temptations to engage in non-work-related activities, including binge-watching Netflix and scrolling through social media.
Another disadvantage of working from home is being physically separated from coworkers. People who work from home often feel isolated and lonely. They miss the small talk and interactions with colleagues, and the office vibe.
Working from home is a learning process. It may be challenging at first, and you might be anxious and not sure how to manage your schedule. But slowly and with the right choices, you’ll learn how to enjoy its advantages and to overcome the possible disadvantages. Here are some tips to help:
Establish a designated workspace. It may be tempting to work sitting on the couch or lying in bed with your laptop—and that’s fine to do, occasionally. But in general, you will be much more productive if you work at the same designated space most of the time.
Choose a space with a window (if possible). Natural light is better than artificial illumination for not only health and wellness, but also productivity. Researchers have found that workers in windowless offices have more difficulty performing various tasks due to fatigue compared to those in offices providing exposure to sunlight. Studies also show that office buildings with more natural light have less absenteeism.
Choose a window with a view of nature (if possible). Studies show that exposure to nature has a positive influence on our performance and reduces stress. Even a brief look at nature is helpful. Take a break, from time to time, to just look out your window at the landscape. If you don’t have nature right outside your window, hang photos of nature in your workspace. Also, make room in your office for some greenery. The presence of indoor plants is also positively associated with job performance, and negatively with stress, based on several workplace experiments.
Stay connected with colleagues. Take advantage of the flexible schedule of working from home and make a weekly habit, if possible, to take a lunch or a coffee break with a colleague or peer with whom you can discuss your work. Call co-workers from time to time, preferably by video conference so you can see each other's faces. This will decrease the feeling of loneliness and will also enable you to hold discussions and exchange ideas.
Make sure your room is well lit. Numerous studies have shown that people perform better in brighter light—whether they work in the daytime or in the evening. Feeling tired at your desk? Try increasing the intensity of the light. Within a short time, you’ll notice yourself feeling more alert and energetic. You may find it hard to believe, but light also increases our self-awareness and self-control. Studies show that we are less impulsive in a well-lit room compared to a room with dim light. We also tend to make more practical decisions in bright light. Tempted to stop working on a challenging task and catch up on your TV watching? A well-lit room can help you stay on track.
Establish boundaries between work and leisure time. Using a planner, whether an online tool or an actual notebook, begin each day by setting your schedule. Include break times in your calendar. Differentiate your time at work from the time you spend doing other activities, from household chores and family dinner to talking a walk alone to watching TV or reading for pleasure. When you are scheduled to work, be at work, fully and mindfully, and close the door (metaphorically or literally) to diversions and temptations. When you are finished with your work for the day, be done. Even when you are working from home, you don’t have to bring your work into your home life.
Many people prefer to work from home, even if it means getting paid less. According to the 2019 Owl Labs report, 34% of those surveyed were willing to take a pay cut up to 5%, and 24% said they were willing to cut up to 10% of their salary, if they could work from home. I’m not suggesting you take a pay cut. But with some tweaks, applying findings from cutting-edge science, working from home can be exceptionally rewarding.
