Keep work away from home

Our first tip is to not work from home too much while working from home. Hear us out…..

When your office is just a sleepwalk from your bed, it can be tempting to “check in” early just to sort out those unanswered emails or get a head start on the day. While this may benefit some people (whatever works for you!), try no to get into the habit of working too much and making work the only thing going on in your life Monday to Friday.

On top of that, structuring your day will help you keep on top of your work-life balance. Assuming your job allows it, try to box out time for certain tasks and meetings, just as you would in an office. Burn out is very real, so try to avoid working 12 hour days just because you can, and avoid “quickly nipping back onto the laptop” to answer emails that come in at 9pm.

Finally, offices create a good environment for lunch breaks – some people go out for lunch, or some offices have dedicated kitchen spaces that force you away from your computer/telephone. We’d recommend trying to stick to a similar routine – forcing yourself to go for a quick walk at lunch (even if it’s into the back garden) will help maintain that vital work-life balance.

Hardware & software

No home office is complete without a good setup.

We’re not going to waste time promoting numerous four-figure ultra-wide monitors, or convoluted standing desk (as ergonomic as those things can be). Instead, here are a few essentials:

Desk & chair – not everyone’s home allows it, but a dedicated desk and a decent office chair with a tall back and arm rests goes a long way to keeping your back and neck in good shape while you’re working away. Make sure you’re comfortable

Headset & webcam – while laptop webcams get the job done, an external USB-powered webcam will allow you to position it in a more ergonomic position, again improving your posture. Meanwhile, a wired or Bluetooth headset will allow contact centre professionals to keep their hands free while on calls. A Bluetooth headset (AirPods or even a pair of £15 earphones will do the job) will let you walk around your house while on a call.

Music – if your on the phone all day, you’re probably not going to be able to host a rave in your home office. But some light background music can go a long way to keeping you company and to increase your mood. We’d recommend a good music subscription like Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Music and either an Echo Dot or Bluetooth speaker. Even a cheap radio will let you listen to something other than the sound of customers’ voices.