Here’s a little fact for you: contrary to urban myth, newsreaders aren’t just wearing underwear when they’re sitting behind their desks, reading off the autocue. Sorry to burst your bubble. I know this because I know somebody who works for Five News, and the most he’s ever done is “go commando” once…
So although I love working from home, one of the things I don’t do is get stuck into a meaty brief (not a euphemism) wearing just my pyjamas, even though my office is a few steps away from my bedroom. For me, it’s important to feel like I’m at work even when I’m not physically leaving the house to go to an office. It’s all about state of mind. If I’m loafing around unshowered, unshaven and unchanged, then – in my head, at least – my approach to my work could inadvertently lapse into slipshod. And that simply isn’t fair to my clients.
It’s not just about clothes, though. It’s about my workspace. Nothing recreational goes on in my office. No online games, nothing. I send myself the very clear message that whenever I’m in my office, I’m there to work. And I never work in my bedroom for similar reasons – apart from that one time I had sciatica when I had no choice.
I recently spoke to someone who frequently uses Starbucks as their office. At first, I thought it was barmy. Nothing against mothers with pushchairs, but my local branch is full of…well…mothers with pushchairs. But maybe that’s the burbs for you. Anyway, that would put me right off. This person, however, said that it was a fantastic setup. Free Wi-Fi, nice coffee on tap, warm panini for lunch, cheeky muffin for tea… They even have their meetings there. As for the noise, they find it stimulating. Personally, I couldn’t do that. I like my silence.
So if you’re anything like me – liking quiet and your own dedicated workspace, here are my top five tips for successfully working from home.
1. Make your office nothing but an office
Back when I first started working from home, I used to sit at the dining table. But it didn’t feel businesslike enough. Plus, as I say, it’s very helpful to be able to draw a very clear line in your home between work rooms and relaxation rooms. At the end of your working day, it’s good to be able to close the door and “leave the office”. So with my spare bedroom as my dedicated office, I can achieve that. Granted, if you live in London, an extra bedroom is a luxury you might not have. But then I’m guessing if you live in London, you might have less need to work from home, compared to those of us in the rolling hills of the home counties and beyond.
2. Keep the door closed
If you have a family – especially one with small children – rules should apply about who can enter and when. Door closed: “do not disturb”. Door open: “I’m bored – come and entertain me. And bring tea with chocolate biscuits”. Roald Dahl told his children that wolves lived in his shed-cum-office at the bottom of the garden!
3. Your desk is a workstation, not an extra surface to clutter
The desk itself isn’t so important, as long as it’s tidy, your computer is at the right height, and it contains clearly marked filing trays for current and past projects, invoices and so on. If you have a separate filing cabinet, that’s even better. It’s not necessarily true that an untidy desk represents a disorganised mind, but it sure makes it more difficult to keep track of things.
4. Make sure your chair is comfortable
The main bit of kit in your office is your chair. If you’re going to be sitting in it for seven or eight hours a day (or more when a deadline is looming), you’re going to want to make sure it’s a decent one. The right height, comfortable, and with proper support. I think I might mean ergonomic. Yes, I do. Ergonomic.
5. Use a decent computer
Rumour has it that designers used to prefer Macs. Maybe they still do. I personally use a dual-boot computer and also an iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard for when I’m out and about. Many are the occasions when I’ve been in town and wanted to pop to Costa before meeting a client to do a spot more work while taking advantage of their free Wi-Fi. It doesn’t matter which you use as long as it suits your purpose.
Now, then… Can I be really patronising for a second? You might thank me later for the reminder: BACK UP YOUR WORK! As a freelancer and/or homeworker, you’re very unlikely to have an IT department to fall back on if things go pear-shaped. These days, it’s dead easy. An external hard drive the size of a smartphone can hold 1TB worth of data and can be set to back up everything as soon as it’s plugged in to your computer. I’ve heard horror stories of fellow copywriters losing everything they’ve ever written when their regular hard drive goes bananas.
One other option is to use a cloud-based backup system. I use Dropbox, personally. So whenever I save a piece of work in my computer’s Dropbox, it magically appears on my laptop as well. And on my smartphone, in fact. No more emailing files to yourself. We like.
What are your tips?
If you have any tips you’d like to share about how to work from home more effectively, I’d love to read them. Just add them to the comments section below.
Ashley is a copywriter, blogger and editor
Johnny Fenton September 3rd, 2015, in the afternoon
The other big thing is to be disciplined about your working hours. Working at home allows great flexibility but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be organised about it. Recognise your working hours and stick to them. Resist the temptation to do household or personal chores during your normal working hours, else a) you'll find it hard to measure just how many hours you are working b) you'll end up having to work in the evening hard-up against a deadline and c) your co-habiting partner/spouse will notice how you are abusing your supposed working hours and start pointing-out other 'important' ways you could use that time. If you don't have any assignments to get on with, get any outstanding business admin tasks sorted before you rush to Tesco to get that replacement light bulb for the living room, or whatever other excuse you come up with to run away from your desk! Working for a clearly defined period of the day is better for productivity and allows you the satisfaction of knowing when you have done a complete day's work and deserve the evening off.