2020 changed the way employers and employees view their workplace situations. The pandemic showed us that working from home is not as impossible as companies once thought it was. In the world of digital marketing, people in these roles need to be able to work online, but they also rely on face-to-face connections. After all, they have to meet with clients, give large presentations, and collaborate with their colleagues. That doesn’t mean they can’t work remotely, though. With this in mind, let’s explore five best practices that any great digital marketing firm can employ to facilitate happy, healthy work-from-home atmospheres.
1. Set Up a Dedicated Workspace
It’s important to create distance between your home life and work life. By creating separation, you’re giving yourself permission to work in one area and relax in the other. If you mix the two, you might find yourself experiencing stress and maybe even a poor work ethic because everything will be coming at you all at once.
If you have a spare room, that’s a great place to start creating distance between home and work. Suppose you don’t have an extra room; set aside a corner of your living room or bedroom that’s cordoned off solely for work purposes. Try to avoid working at the dining room table, as that doesn’t bring the necessary separation you’ll need to be most effective at your job.
2. Set Boundaries
Sure, you’re working from home, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stop working ever. It’s easy to feel like you can’t leave your computer when your work is in your house, but if you set a schedule (and adhere to it!), you’ll find that it’s easier to get your work done. Don’t be unrealistic about your goals and what you’re able to accomplish in a day; instead, set realistic goals, so your work life doesn’t spill over into your personal time.
Boundaries don’t stop with you. The people you live with also need to respect your work time and space. Be sure to set firm rules and guidelines so the people you live with understand how days should be oriented. The more respect co-habitants give each other, the more work you’ll be able to get done.
3. Be Determined
When you work from home, you have to be determined to accomplish the tasks set forth for you throughout the day. It’s easy to get distracted or waste time when you’re in your own space and not in a traditional office setting, but if you’re able to show your company that you can produce results, everything will be easier in the long run.
Set goals at the beginning of each day that can actually be achieved. Don’t go overboard because you’ll likely find yourself falling short. Instead, opt for three things you absolutely need to get done today and do them. If it helps, write them down on actual paper and cross them off as you complete them.
Try to adhere to the SMART goal system. In other words, make sure they’re Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based.
4. Limit Distractions
Let go of the thousand tabs on your browser. When it’s work time, focus on work and nothing else.
It’s not easy to limit distractions when you’re working from home and house a million things going on around you, but when you get in the habit of limiting distractions, you’ll find that you’re able to make far more progress on your projects. Don’t procrastinate or push tasks off until later because something else popped up. Rather, limit the distractions that can come into your life during your work time so you can focus solely on the task at hand.
5. Take Frequent Breaks
Lest we not forget one of the most important parts of working from home: not working all the time. Stand up, stretch your legs, walk around the block, take your dog out, and go to the bathroom. Just because you’re working from home, it doesn’t mean you’re relegated to your computer screen for 10 hours on end. In fact, staring at a computer screen for too long can cause your brain to get foggy, ultimately leading to a loss of focus and productivity.
No matter how you choose to live your digital marketing lifestyle, these tips are good ways to set a foundation for happiness and success in your work-from-home environment. When you have to hop on calls with clients or pitch a new idea to your leadership team, you’ll be more focused and energized if you take the time to separate your work life and home life and give your body and mind a little attention along the way.