5 tips to stay healthy and productive working from home

Working from home certainly has its advantages, but it can also feel isolating when our connections depend entirely on screens and software to keep collaboration alive and work moving forward.

To help you stay focused and maintain your mental and emotional wellbeing, we’ve gathered a few practical tips to make remote work more balanced and fulfilling.

1. Create a work schedule

To stay goal oriented and motivated we recommend treating your work day like a regular day in the office. Setting yourself realistic hours for each project or task can be extremely useful to help you keep on track with what you need to tick off each day. Also, clearly define your work hours and communicate them to others in your household to minimise interruptions.

Don’t forget to give yourself breaks for a tea or coffee, and try and set up a Teams or Zoom lunch break with a work friend. This will help you feel more connected to your team. If you are working on a computer, it’s important to stand up and move to get your blood circulating every so often, at least once an hour. It also helps to move your eyes off the screen regularly, even if it’s a micro-break of 10 to 20 seconds.

2. Start your day off on the right foot

Follow your usual morning rituals when getting ready for your work day. Have a nutritious breakfast, shower and get dressed. Look for an existing habit that you have, like brushing your teeth or coming in from a dog walk, to act as your signal. That way, you can tack on the new habit of kicking off your workday. Try and avoid the embarrassment of turning up to a video conference call in your pyjamas.

3. Maintain a healthy work environment

Keep your desk area tidy and ensure you have a comfortable chair. Ensure that the top of your screen is at or slightly below eye level to reduce strain on your neck and eyes, and make sure you have adequate lighting.

If you have any concerns about your home work environment, speak to your Work Health and Safety manager who can help you arrange your work station. Try to request equipment you need from your employer as soon as you start working from home or within a few days of realising you need something new. 

4. Over – communicate

Working remotely requires that everyone over-communicate to understand each others schedule and availability. Don’t assume they’ll remember. When you finish a project or important task, say so. Over-communicating doesn’t necessarily mean you have to write a five-paragraph essay to explain your every move, but it does mean you might have to repeat yourself. Joke about how you must have mentioned your upcoming vacation six times already, then mention it again.  

Regular check-ins and casual communication can help you feel supported and keep deadlines from sneaking up. Working from home thrives on clarity, consistency, and a little extra effort to make sure no one’s left guessing.

5. Drink plenty of water and eat well

Find a way of working from home that works for you

The best way to work from home is by finding what works for you. Try to design the most helpful schedule and boundaries to suit your work and home life. Remember to always reach out to your work colleagues to stay connected and remain team focused and get in touch with your friends, family, a co-worker or support services if you ever need help.

When working from home you can find a greater sense of creativity and energy, and greater job satisfaction than those who work fully onsite, so embrace the chance to make a system for working at home that suits you.

At CVGT Employment, we value work-life balance and can offer flexible working conditions. Visit our careers page to find out about all the employee benefits we have to offer and our current vacancies.