How I make remote work…work

A hot topic over the last few years. Whether you love it or hate it, there really is an art to making remote work, work for you.

When I joined eSuite I’d never had a completely remote role. For the most part my experience was in all ‘in-office’ until COVID hit. But I still came into my new gig completely confident that with my experience working from home during lock-downs that I had it down.

I was wrong.

Turns out you still need to put effort into your morning and afternoon routine when you work from home. So here’s the rules I live by to make remote work, work for me.

Leave the house

Seems obvious, but the reality is that when you don’t have a constant reason to leave the house, you might not do it. I remember a few weeks went by that I hadn’t left the house outside of the weekend and wondered why I was in such a bad mood…

Get up early

Because what’s the benefit of working from home if you waste those extra hours on laying in bed scrolling? I get up at the same time every day, and whether I fill my mornings with exercise, house work or a hobby, I’m always more refreshed when it’s time to start my work day.

Create a mini-morning routine.

A little before my workday I’ll spend some time getting ready. For me it’s putting on my ‘from home work uniform’, making a smoothie and setting up my desk.

Call your colleagues.

The best thing about working in the office is ‘water-cooler-chat’. Knowing what everyone got up on the weekend is absolutely key for culture (if you ask me)

Silence your notifications when the day is done.

When work is only a few steps away it’s so easy to just keep working. I switch off my work notifications when I finish up for the day so I can focus on my family after five.

Make after work plans.

When you don’t have the luxury of spontaneous ‘after-work-drinks’ you’ve got to put in a little effort. Organise some mid-week dinner plans with a pal or if you’re anything like me, sign up for a pottery class.