Working from home isn’t a new concept however no one at the beginning of this year imagined that for so many of us, remote work would become the ‘new norm’.

In the past months we've seen unprecedented levels of disruption in all our lives. For those fortunate enough to be able to carry on working from home, it has created new challenges and opportunities. Remote work has some obvious benefits such as removing the daily commute, increased flexibility around your working day and more time to spend on hobbies and with your family. Working from home does however bring its own set of challenges that will impact us in different ways. For the team at Phlo Digital Pharmacy we’ve always had an element of working from home. So, we asked members of the team to share their top tips for managing this ‘new norm’ of working and increasing productivity when working from home.

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Lauren Nicholson, Chief Financial Officer  

‘For me routine is key, treating every day as if I was going into the office albeit a much shorter commute.  I have also found that segregating my work area in my home from my relaxing area has helped me unwind in the evenings and can help people maintain focus throughout the day. ‘ 

Jamie MacDonald, Full Stack Developer: 

‘When stuck on a tricky problem that you just can’t solve, instead of staring off into space hoping the solution will just come to you, I like to take the opportunity to put on a load of washing or do some dishes; it feels rewarding to accomplish something and more often than not, when I return to work the answer to the problem seems to appear as if by magic, having been subconsciously thinking about it while doing the other task.’ 

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Andrew McCappin, Graphic Designer 

‘As a creative working from home I found it hard when lockdown first began, working in the same environment on a constant basis wasn’t inspiring or thought provoking. Originally, I would motivate myself and stimulate my creativity during my journey to work in the morning. To make up for this, I try and keep my home working environment as creatively inspiring as possible. With my free time off I have been hanging more images, decorating and changing the layout of my office space to keep it fresh. It’s helped me feel much more inspired and there for more motivated for my work.’ 

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Hannah May Cairns, Digital Designer  

‘For me, working from home so far is a real eye-opener! I am part-extrovert, part-introvert so I love to work alone in a private space for me to fully concentrate on something, but also want to have the option to come back to a team and bounce ideas off each other. In order to keep the conversation flowing for brainstorming and problem solving, I make sure I am scheduling video calls with people rather than typing out huge messages. Overall, my top tips are: make sure you have a comfortable seat, have an exciting meal to look forward to at lunch and if possible eat your lunch outside for some fresh air!’ 

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Brian Grassie, Head of Digital Marketing   

‘Make sure you have a good setup for your workstation. Laptop and monitor risers to bring the screen into the right eye level for your height. Invest in a good chair, and try to find one that's as supportive and comfortable as possible whilst being in line with your budget. Sofa, armchair, dining chair, aren't optimal for working on a laptop etc. Also make sure you take your breaks at regular times. The days can fly by or drag on if you don't structure them properly, and it's important to get up and move around frequently. Also avoid the TV and Sofa at lunchtime. You don’t want that engrossing episode of Columbo keeping you away from your tasks.’ 

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If you have any additional tips that you would like to share from your own experience of home working, send a message to the Phlo Digital Pharmacy team.  

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