Being able to work from home (WFH) is great. Who would argue with that ?

Since not all professions offer this option as of 2020, if yours does, you're lucky.

I believe that this decade, working remotely will be a standard, if not already is.

Based on my experience in the IT industry, you can be as effective as working at the office. But I have to admit that the first few times I tried, it wasn't that easy.

Either you work from home on a daily basis or a few times per month, you may find some useful information for doing it effectively in the following paragraphs.

Every beginning is difficult

I remember the first time I worked remotely, I was so excited about it.

The result was unexpected though. I didn't like it at all. At the end of that day, I felt both unproductive and guilty.

I can explain why this happened. The short answer is that it was neither part of my own culture nor the company's I worked for then.

I felt unproductive because I didn't manage to achieve the same results compared to the ones I used to when I was at the office.

As for the guilty part, there was a feeling that my teammates might think that I pretended I couldn't go to the office so that I could stay home and relax.

Maybe you've also experienced something similar to this during your first attempts too.

Since then, things have changed. Working from home is part of my culture now.

The perks of working from home

If you ask me, it has several benefits. To name the most important is that it contributes to a better work-life balance.

Usually, working from home comes along with flexible hours, which allows us to invest more time in our personal life. It also provides the luxury of sleeping one or two hours longer than usual since we don't spend time getting to the office and back.

Among the good parts, another notable one is the fact that I'm away from a noisy workplace without people talking, keyboards clicking and phones ringing.

Being at home also makes it easier to deal with personal tasks such as planning a trip or take a quick break to go to the supermarket during non-peak hours.

Financially speaking, you save money by not having to leave your home every day. Consider transportation expenses, buying takeaway coffee and snacks or ordering food at the office because you might not have the time or mood to cook something while returning home at night.

There are many pros of working from home but sometimes there is also a price for that.

The challenge is real

There are plenty of things to ensure before you can successfully work from home.

I think the first one is pretty obvious. You need a good internet connection. This is a must prerequisite for a successful work from home day. Imagine not being able to send and receive your emails, sync your data or make an uninterrupted online call.

Moving forward, I know people who struggle to be productive and stay focused when they are unsupervised. When working from home, try to stay motivated and make sure to keep things extremely organized. Keep notes and stay on target. It is also a good practice to ping your colleagues now and then for any clarifications needed.

The biggest challenge I faced during my early remote days, was that I used to get in an always on mindset, causing me to work long hours. We have to be disciplined, set the rules for when a WFH day begins and ends respectively. It is crucial not to lose track of time. An alarm clock could also do the job for us here as well.

Working from home is not for everyone. Even though I aforementioned the perk of being able to isolate and avoid busy environments, some consider it an issue. Isolation isn't always a good thing as it could lead to feelings of loneliness. Music is a great companion and a good way to set your mood.

Tips for improving the WFH experience

There are some things you can do to improve the experience and even enjoy it.

Wake up on time and get dressed

Previously, I mentioned discipline. Believe it or not, this also applies here.

Try to wake up relatively early in the morning. A shower will help you get energized.

Boost your energy levels by cooking a nice breakfast. Before you start working, feel free to spend about half an hour to enjoy your breakfast. Make a cup of coffee or tea while reading the news or an article you saved the day before.

Then, get dressed. Act like you were to go to the office. In the past, I used to work in my pajamas but it wasn't ideal. I had that feeling I was either sleepy or sick.

Create a nice workspace

Don't stay in bed, unless you have to for health reasons.

Create a cozy and ergonomic workspace instead. In case you work from home regularly, seriously consider investing at least on a good desk, a second monitor and a comfortable chair.

In my honest opinion, having the right workspace is so important and one of the main reasons why I enjoy working from home and how I manage to stay highly focused and motivated.

Let your team know you're there

For those who work in a team environment, I'd suggest enabling your computer's camera during online calls with your teammates. It is a nice way to make them feel your presence by letting them see you than just hear your voice. It can also be fun to let them see your room or your messy hair.

Notify them when you're away from the keyboard in case anyone needs your help while you are missing. Also, let them know when you're back or when you call it a day.

Don't spend the whole day at home

Once you call it a day, turn off the computer. Try not to stay at home after that. A good idea would be to go out for a walk, see your friends, grab a drink or some dinner. It can only help you relax and escape from thinking problems at work.

Last but not least

Make sure the TV stays turned off.

Stay away from the kitchen and the snacks.

As long as they are not part of your work, put your mobile phone and your tablet aside.

In any case, try to enjoy and get the most out of your work from home experience.