The UK Careers Fair logo
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
HomeAbout2024 ScheduleEventsNewsJobsLondon
Exhibit With UsBook A Stand
Contact Us
Lifestyle
5 min read

How To Have An Effective Routine When Working From Home

With the recent government announcement that you should be now talking to your employer to “agree arrangements to return to your workplace”, many people will still have the option to work from home. If this is something that your employer agrees to and you prefer this option as opposed to being office based then you may be questioning how to efficiently organise your working day to ensure maximum output and minimum stress!
Written by
Joanna Clare
Content Manager
Published on
September 27, 2022

With the recent government announcement that you should be now talking to your employer to “agree arrangements to return to your workplace”, many people will still have the option to work from home. If this is something that your employer agrees to and you prefer this option as opposed to being office based then you may be questioning how to efficiently organise your working day to ensure maximum output and minimum stress!

Here are a few suggestions that you may wish to consider.

Try to adhere to the same start and finish times each day. Not only will this give you the structure that you would have had in the office but it also allows you to switch off at the end of the day as no one enjoys working late into the evenings because they have been  focusing on non work related tasks and allowing themselves to become distracted. If you apply the same rule for lunch and tea breaks, you will find you settle into a comfortable routine much quicker. It's all about learning when and how to switch on and switch off.

Aim to do household chores before and after work. Of course, if you want to load the washing machine during your lunch break and time is on your side, then go ahead but try not to be distracted by the beeping of the tumble dryer letting you know its finished its cycle or thoughts of vacuuming ‘just the bedroom’ whilst you are in your working time. If you are anything like me then once you start cleaning or tidying then it will be difficult to stop as one chore can so easily lead into another.

Having a tidy and clutter free working area will help prevent you feeling overwhelmed as research shows that our environment has a massive impact on how we feel emotionally and the less clutter that surrounds us, the better we feel about ourselves. A boundary that separates our working environment from our home environment is a fantastic idea.  Not everyone has a designated home office but we can manage productivity working from anywhere in the home if we have that physical or imaginary boundary line in a room.

As the saying goes, never work with children or animals, yet so many of us have much loved dogs which are invaluable companions as we work from home, however they do need regular exercise, feeding and attention. A walk or run off the lead before your work begins is a good idea as it will (hopefully!) help to tire your dog out, allowing you to concentrate on your work.

It may be very tempting to wear your pajamas all day whilst working from home as it can feel tremendously comfortable and cosy and there's certainly nothing wrong with this every now and again. Nevertheless, you need to be able to maintain a professional mindset and how we feel about ourselves is often linked with our appearance so having a smart but casual working from home’ uniform or outfit would be of huge benefit in telling ourselves it's now time for work. Personally, I find that once my hair is tied up neatly, that is my signal for changing into professional mode. Of course, if you will be virtually visible to others throughout the day then it is imperative that you maintain a clean and smart impression.

Everyone is different, as are working environments and workloads so it may take some time to establish a routine but you will discover a method that ‘works’ for you!

Weekly newsletter
Sign up to our newsletter to keep updated with the latest insights for the freshest trends and know-how in the career realm.
By submitting, you are agreeing to receive our weekly newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time if you no longer wish to receive these updates.
Read about our privacy policy.
Thank you! You're now subscribed to the latest news from The UK Careers Fair.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Latest News

Dive into our latest insights for the freshest trends and know-how in the career realm, updated daily.
Press

13,000+ Attendees Last Week

The UK Careers Fair
|
Editorial Team
March 18, 2024
5 min read
Interview Advice

Social Media's Potential Impact on An Interview

Joanna Clare
|
Content Manager
March 17, 2024
5 min read
Careers Advice

Advancing Your Career By Self Promotion

Joanna Clare
|
Content Manager
March 16, 2024
5 min read

Upcoming Events

Check out our full and comprehensive list of upcoming events.

Cambridge Careers Fair
March 1, 2024
Sheffield Careers Fair
March 1, 2024
Aberdeen Careers Fair
March 20, 2024
Sunderland Careers Fair
March 21, 2024
Dundee Careers Fair
March 21, 2024
Perth Careers Fair
March 22, 2024
Newcastle Careers Fair
March 22, 2024
Coventry Careers Fair
March 27, 2024
Swindon Careers Fair
March 27, 2024
Birmingham Careers Fair
April 5, 2024
Canterbury Careers Fair
April 10, 2024
Edinburgh Careers Fair
April 10, 2024
Stirling Careers Fair
April 11, 2024
Lincoln Careers Fair
April 11, 2024
Glasgow Careers Fair
April 12, 2024
Ipswich Careers Fair
April 12, 2024
Derby Careers Fair
April 17, 2024
Truro Careers Fair
April 17, 2024
Gloucester Careers Fair
April 17, 2024
Plymouth Careers Fair
April 18, 2024
Wakefield Careers Fair
April 18, 2024
Manchester Careers Fair
April 19, 2024
Portsmouth Careers Fair
April 19, 2024
Belfast Careers Fair
April 19, 2024
Wrexham Careers Fair
April 24, 2024
Winchester Careers Fair
April 24, 2024
Blackburn Careers Fair
April 24, 2024
 TAKE ME THERE