The 2021 Work from Home Efficiency Guide You Didn’t Ask For (But Probably Need!)

The year is 2021, and contrary to what pop culture predicted, things aren’t as high-tech as the most creative minds of the world imagined. Still, we’ve included technology so much in our lives that many of us now have the privilege of working from home.

During this still-ongoing pandemic, many jobs have shifted from strictly in-office to 100% remote for everyone’s safety. However, it seems not everyone was ready for it, and have had a hard time navigating the work from home environment. It’s not as easy as most thought it would be; some would even say it’s more challenging than working in an actual office.

As someone who’s done plenty of remote work for over a decade, I feel there are a few handy tips I can share for anyone who might need a gentle push into WFH productivity and efficiency.

The One Trick to Make Sure Working Remotely… Well… Works

People often get blinded by the many advantages of being a digital nomad that they forget what it is at its core: work. From someone who has almost always worked remotely from people halfway around the world, and has worked freelance from home for extended periods of time, my one major piece of advice is to treat it as if it was an office job. I’m going to break it down a little bit more over the next paragraphs, but if you ask me to summarize everything into one sentence, it’s that.

Now, onto the details…

Let People Know You’re Working

For those who do not live alone, it’s easy to get distracted by anyone else who’s at home with you. I’ve found many people struggle the most when family or roommates do not recognize the boundary, since before telecommuting became a huge thing because of the ongoing pandemic, it was rare for people to really work from home most days. As such, we’re often treated as if we’re just our usual at-home selves. An idea is to create and post your schedules so everyone’s aware of work hours and quiet times (especially if cameras are supposed to be on for meetings or when you can’t mute yourself during phone calls). Having a headset is also a good visual to indicate you’re working, or if you have the space, consider to…

Have Your Own Office or Dedicated Workspace

Sure, not everyone has the luxury of having their own home office, especially for people like myself who live in a studio apartment. If you can, create at least a dedicated work area that’s purely for work. I’ve read some people even install curtains using shower curtain rods to create a boundary as necessary. If you can, get an office chair (which I should do). If you have pets, try to place them in a different room if they tend to get rambunctious when unsupervised. In my case, I crate my cats so they can play and sleep in a confined space, and then let them out during my breaks and after work. If a specific aesthetic inspires you to work, or if certain equipment allow you to work more productively, add to that. Decorate to your heart’s content, or keep it minimalist, whichever works for you. Plus, if you create a space purely for work, your bed or TV won’t be around and tempting you to slack off.

Make Sure to Take Breaks

It’s easy to drown in work when you’re in the comfort of your own home. Just as you do if you were in an office, take clear breaks. Whether it’s the traditional 1-hour break and occasional bathroom (or even cigarette) breaks, or you’re more into the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes work, 5 minutes break), or however else you operate, take a break as needed. Personally, I find taking a lunch break, feeding my cats, and going on social media for a little bit at a time, all help my productivity. That is, unless I’m in the zone, in which case I end up taking a long break after about 4-6 hours of working nonstop (whoops). No matter how you take your breaks, make sure that 1) you do take them, and 2) you get back to work when done!

Don’t Be Too Quiet

No matter where you are on the intro/extroversion scale, communication is important and needed. This is not just for work-related talk too. Isolation, especially if you’re not just working from home but also living alone, can get to you. Reach out to coworkers for a quick chat, the same way you would if you were in an office setting, basically the virtual equivalent of water cooler talk. Alternatively, if you’re freelance and technically have no coworkers, catch up with friends and family for a few minutes. Just because you’re working doesn’t mean you have to shut people out entirely. And an interesting thing you can use to boost creativity especially if you’re in a very silent room, working at night, or both, is to recreate the ambient sounds of human interaction. I occasionally use Coffitivity, and according to their research, “moderate level of ambient noise is conducive to creative cognition.” You can use their website or download their app. There are others such as Rainy Cafe and Cafe Restaurant, among others. I also play music when I feel like it, because well, that’s how I’ve been operating ever since I started working in 2008. Looking back, I’ve always had background noise even when I was a student. If you prefer silence, that’s totally up to you, but if you need music to keep you energized, maybe make a playlist or two to get you going during the work day.

Work with a Schedule

Even if you’re lucky enough to have flexible hours, try to stick to a regular schedule as much as you can. For example, at my current job I’m pretty much allowed to work my own hours, but I selected the schedule I currently have because it allows me to overlap at least 2 hours with the rest of my mostly Canadian coworkers, and still manage to be awake during the daytime to live a somewhat normal life. For context, I used to work purely at night and it took its toll on my health because I was basically experiencing the equivalent of getting jet lagged every single weekend. And because I have flexible hours but show up regularly, it has (I’m hoping) built trust among my team that they can reach me at specific times of the day. Structure your day on a calendar app if it helps, or go old school and use a day planner. With that said, another tip is to know when you’re at your most productive, and incorporate that into your schedule if that works for your company’s policies. Like I said, my job is flexible enough that I can choose my own hours, and since I work best during the afternoons and at night, I work during those times.

Dress Up When You Show Up

Remember when I said the key to successfully working from home is to act like you’re not? I’m paraphrasing but that’s the gist of this whole article. And one of the things many people tend to forget when working from home is to mind their appearance. I’m not saying this just so you look presentable during Zoom meetings (but it helps). I’m saying this because we can definitely associate loungewear and not keeping appearances with too much comfort. While working in your pajamas without brushing your hair or teeth sounds ideal, it might actually lessen your productivity. You don’t have to go full corporate, either. Take a shower, change your clothes to something you’d wear to the outside world, and if you wear makeup then try to put some on too. I try to be in casual clothes instead of jammies, and I occasionally put on a bit of eyebrow and lip product so I don’t look washed out on camera during surprise Zoom calls that happen every once in a while.

If You Can, Work Away from Home Occasionally

Because we’re still in a pandemic, not everyone is vaccinated and not everywhere is safe. But, if you are protected and you trust the establishments you visit, try bringing your laptop to a cafe, library, or coworking space. This is especially helpful if internet at home suddenly decides to nope the heck out, or when you need a refreshing new environment every once in a while. When I was freelancing in 2017, I would visit my local Starbucks and stay there for a few hours, ordering food and drinks every once in a while so I don’t over-welcome my stay. Once I get fully vaccinated I will explore the coworking options in my area, since my home internet is also known to punk out on me during the worst possible moments. These paid methods can put a dent into your budget if you don’t factor it in, so public libraries are definitely the cheaper (read: free) option. Have a backup portable internet option as well, such as using the tethering/internet sharing option on your phone, or using a mobile wifi device. Some cellular carriers offer mobile hotspot plans you can add to your phone plan!

In a Nutshell: Working from Home is Still Work

Like I keep mentioning throughout this post, you need to remind yourself that even though you’re working from home, you are still working. You need to treat it as such, so hopefully my personal tips help you out. I know that in one of my previous jobs, productivity went up for a lot of people, but unfortunately there were a handful of people who struggled with it and probably couldn’t identify why. While you might miss working at an office, there are definitely benefits to this telecommuting situation so hopefully you find a new routine that works!