It seems almost every post on our social feeds at the moment includes some mention of working from home.
A few weeks ago, the Pink Media team uprooted from our office in the Baltic Triangle and set up in our homes instead.
In light of current government guidelines, many of us have found ourselves in this very same situation and whilst around only 30% of the UK’s workforce experienced remote working from home last year, that’s now a very different story.
Many of us are new to the concept and it can be tricky to adapt to your new home office. We’ve compiled some top tips to help make your working day that much more productive and help to ease some of the anxieties about working in isolation.

Keeping a balance and staying productive
Some research would actually suggest that working from home improves your productivity as it allows you to really get stuck into projects without those typical office distractions.
Be sure to structure your day and write a daily project list to hold yourself accountable for the work that needs to be done and communicate that with your colleagues daily, so you know exactly what is going on across the team.
Your home office set up is important and although it’s not always possible to assign a separate room for working, use what you do have to create a comfortable space.
Whether it’s your kitchen table or your dressing table, during the working day, try to eliminate all of your usual clutter or anything that could offer a distraction and create a designated space that will lift your mood and encourage creativity.

Having a source of natural light is always a bonus alongside some uplifting and inspiring items such as stationary, indoor plants or even your favourite mug or water bottle. Every evening clear your work space ready for the day ahead.
It’s easy to stay in your loungewear when you’re working from home, but try and get yourself ready for the day as if you were heading into the office.
One of the biggest concerns that home workers face is the lack of boundaries between office hours and leisure time so it’s important to replicate as much of your regular routine as possible.
That way, when 5pm comes around, you can relax and officially mark the end of the day.
On the topic of maintaining structure within your schedule, aim to wake up at the same time every morning and take your breaks as you would do during a typical working day.
It’s easy to become consumed by your workload or answer emails over your lunch break but use that time to step outside for a walk or enjoy a meal that will fuel your creativity for the afternoon ahead.

Keeping in Touch
Communication is key at this time. One of the main struggles that researchers have highlighted when studying those working from home is that mental health and wellbeing can be affected, and feelings of loneliness, isolation and stress can set in.
There are a number of ways to make sure you still feel connected to your colleagues and your clients.
We are advocates of using tools such as WhatsApp, Zoom, Microsoft Team and Slack to check in with each other multiple times a day.
Rather than a phone call, make it a video call and retain that personal face-to-face interaction as much as possible. In this digital world, we have all of the software available to us to make communication seamless.