Working from home is a reality that many of us have had thrust upon us unexpectedly. We’ve scrambled to pull home offices together, read blog posts discussing the importance of ambient light and done our best to create a working environment that gives us the same sense of focus as the office. Nevertheless, after 6 weeks at home with few outside influences, it’s natural for motivation to dip if you’re used to a busy office environment. Luckily 3CX is here to help! We’ve asked the experts (i.e. 3CX colleagues who work remotely full time) to share their pearls of wisdom. Let’s keep motivation levels high, using their working from home tips for inspiration:

#1. Dress the Part

While it’s tempting to simply roll out of bed, 5 mins before start time and work in your PJs, it really helps to wake up at roughly the same time as you would have when working at the office. Get washed and dressed and you can enjoy the extra time saved from not having to commute, by taking a leisurely breakfast instead. There’s nothing better than sipping that cup of coffee and allowing yourself time to breathe- Tamara, Assistant Marketing Manager

don't be tempted to work from bed

Rise and Shine! Don’t be tempted to work from bed, start your day as you would in the office.

#2. Organize your day.

The first thing I do every day is writing down the list of things I need to achieve. Then I assign time slots for the different types of tasks. For example, I assist our technical support team and develop software. Being interrupted while developing software kills my productivity, so I define a time frame for support and another time frame for development. During those time frames, I focus on my current task without interruptions. I even leave my mobile away from me to avoid distractions when I need to be very focused– Ernst, Software Developer

#3. Commit to doing more

Try to overestimate how many things you’ll do during the day. If your to-do list is full you’ll find it easier to keep a consistent pace of work and will be less prone to distractions. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take any breaks, however! You are human and need a cup of coffee or tea, so set clear break times just like you would in the office. The aim is to replicate an office day as much as possible– Alejandro, Senior Support Engineer

#4. Keep in touch!

We have a group chat permanently open so that we can stay in touch and feel connected to the team throughout the day. When discussion in the chat gets “animated” (you see messages scrolling rapidly), our team leader publishes a web meeting link and we join and discuss. That way it takes just a few minutes to find a solution– George, Software Developer

#5. Let’s work together on this!

For developers it is common to work together, sitting next to each other, looking at the same monitor. With WebMeeting Screen Sharing this process is very smooth and productive: developers can discuss and change code in real-time. We can also run tests, to verify everything is running properly. Four eyes are better than two, in this case, 2 webcams are better than one! 😉– Marc, Software Developer

lets work together on this

Four eyes are better than two, use WebMeeting to support colleagues with project work.

#6. Set Limits

While you are working, try to avoid chatting with friends via Whatsapp or Facebook. Getting distracted will extend your working day and make you feel as if your personal life and professional life have become one. Do not even dream to look at Netflix, it’s for your own safety!- Loris, Channel Manager Italy
We want to hear your working from home tips! Let us know what you’re doing to stay motivated in the comments or share your experiences with our partners in our exclusive Linked In group, the 3CXperts.