Create a morning routine

• Establishing a good morning routine is essential when working from home. Not only do routines help reduce mental fatigue, they help to prepare the brain for the working day, enabling it to work more productively
• Taking time to set a routine and maintain it can have huge a significant positive impact on starting each day at peak productivity

Have a dedicated workspace

• Whether it is a separate room, a fully stocked desk or just a clean part of the kitchen table, a dedicated area to work in is key to enabling productivity
• Remember to take time to set up the workstation using the Trust’s DSE guidance for homeworkers. Having an appropriate chair and other equipment will help improve productivity and reduce musculoskeletal risks

Clarify expectations

• Spend time with management talking through the key work priorities, deadline dates and what the short-term as well as long-term goals for the department are
• Not being on-site reduces the ease of communication and being able to turn around/walk into the next room to ask for clarification on work tasks that have been set. Time can be wasted worrying about whether work being completed is correct or through misunderstanding. Spend time in 1:1s discussing any concerns or challenges, asking for feedback and reviewing any support required. Additionally, pick up the phone or send an email if support or clarity is required. A quick ten-minute phone call can help to reduce any uncertainties and enable productivity to resume

Schedule tasks against energy levels

• Productivity and energy do not remain at a consistent level throughout the day. Energy levels go up and down
• The importance is not in extending that period of high energy, but in knowing how to make best use of it. The different type of energy in the morning, afternoon or evening can help determine when to schedule in specific tasks. When having periods of high energy work can be completed more quickly and with fewer mistakes
• Instead of using the principles of time management to manage the entire day, consider organising tasks by level of energy. Being aware of "peak performance periods" will mean that time can be spent scheduling in the more challenging or import pieces of work during this time, leaving the less complex or "light" tasks for when energy is lower

Plan meaningful breaks

• While taking breaks might sound counter-intuitive when it comes to increasing productivity, it is one of the best ways to improve it. Research has found that regular breaks throughout the working day help to significantly improve productivity levels and the ability to focus
• Working for long stretches without breaks leads to stress and exhaustion. Taking breaks refreshes the mind, replenishes mental resources, and helps increase creativity. Additionally, when working on something challenging or where focus has been lost, taking a break can help to enable development of new ideas or solutions and renew motivation
• When working from home the natural breaks that occur when working on-site, through talking to colleagues, getting up to make a hot drink or walking to use the amenities can be lost. It is important to therefore schedule time throughout the day for breaks to get up and move around

Create a process for collaboration

• Working from home reduces the ease of being able to simply turn around and ask for help or support, or run an idea past a colleague for their input and advice. These are all important elements for helping to increase productivity and bring about new ideas and perspectives
• Talk to colleagues and agree ways to continue with collaboration and communication when working at home. Discuss how to share ideas, provide feedback and maintain communication with each other

Maintain regular hours

• Working from home can mean increases in working hours, with staff tempted to use the normal commute time to start work earlier or finish later. Frequently working additionally hours can increase feelings or tiredness and the risk of burnout. It is therefore important to maintain regular working hours and create signals to mark the start and end of the day. This will help to create clear boundaries
• Individual circumstances mean that working hours might need to be adjusted when working from home. This could be due to personal circumstances or to enable work to be completed when you are at your most productive. Discuss with management the possibility of changing working hours when working from home, understanding if there are core hours required as a department. Remember to keep colleagues informed of any changes to working hours so they know when and how to best contact you

Take time to experiment

Working from home means complete control over the working environment. Experiment to determine what works best at an individual level for increased productivity and give considerations to:

• temperature
• background noise - is music a help or hindrance?
• location
• timing of breaks

If you have flexibility over your working hours, discuss with management experimenting with working hours so that work can be completed when productivity and energy are at their highest.