There’s been a lot noise around the pros and cons of home working over the last two years, with many studies focusing on the bottom line, ie are employees more or less productive.
Of course, productivity is essential, but to most of us, wellbeing is just as important. All things being equal, where you work is secondary to job satisfaction, your work/life balance, and a general sense of daily achievement.
Since at Torque we now work predominantly from home, we’ve learned to adopt a different attitude to our working day, to ensure we remain connected, productive and most of all, happy in our work.
Enjoy the great outdoors
It’s so important to take regular breaks away from a desk or screen. Heading outside during the day – particularly in the winter months to make the most of the sunshine – whether it’s for exercise, to walk the dog or to just enjoy the fresh air shouldn’t just be encouraged, it should be mandatory.
Watch your timekeeping
One of the pitfalls of homeworking is that it’s too easy to start tuning in earlier and staying at your desk later. We’re not clock watchers at Torque; we want everyone to work around their childcare commitments and the needs of their family, so flexible working hours and no commuting make that far easier, as long as you don’t overcompensate.
Make time to socialise
While working from home is overall very positive, it has to be balanced with a feeling of being connected. Most of us spend a day a week at offices in London to boost creativity, meet up, or just get a change of scene. Our daily Teams call every morning means we check in with each other, share ideas and workload, and have some very juvenile conversations. Throw in a monthly social event at a pub and we’ve got our connectivity covered.
So, while working from home is a great boon to many of us, it does come with the responsibility to set some rules and take care of oneself. If you’re looking for more top tips, here’s a few more ideas from the team at Torque:
- Don’t get into the habit of eating at your desk. Make the effort to go and have a break
- Take regular breaks away from the screen – 20 minutes twice a day is good
- Have some music on in the background
- Have non-work conversations during the day. Random chats help boost creativity, as well as making you laugh
