As current situations develop, we are aware that a large number of you are working remotely for the first time, or certainly more often than you usually did. With all this uncertainty in the air, we at Hurree are very grateful to be able to adapt our team to work completely remotely. As we have a number of team members who already work remotely on a regular basis, we thought we could pull together to help each other, as well as the wider marketing community!
Our aim is to provide our best practices for working more productively at home, whilst also taking into consideration both your physical and mental well-being too.
There's no denying that this period of social distancing is the perfect time to binge-watch a few great series and movies on Netflix or Amazon Prime. But it's also ideal for some self-development and learning something new.
So whether you're already a marketing pro that just wants to brush up on a few things, a student with an interest in pursuing a marketing career or even a business owner with absolutely no marketing experience, we have a bunch of resources to keep your brain active during these times (in-between Netflix binges, of course).
Working From Home: Hurree’s Top Tips
Where possible, set up a workspace in your kitchen, dressing room, spare room, garage... wherever works for you! Yes, it might not fit the aesthetic of your Instagram-worthy home, but just remember - this is only temporary! Whatever you do, try to keep the bedroom for non-work-related activities only. Working from your bed changes the mental association you have with the bedroom and can decrease the quality of your sleep. Plus, you are more likely to become tired and want to nap.
Try to maintain as much of the same morning routine that you had when getting ready to head to work in the office. This will help you to wake up and get set up for your day. I'm not saying get up at 6am like you normally would when you had to commute, wearing your best outfit with a full face of make-up and hair sitting perfect - but it will definitely increase your productivity if you have showered, eaten breakfast and gotten dressed (even if it's active-wear) prior to starting your working day. If you usually exercise in the morning - keep this up! You might not be able to get to your local gym, but a run in the fresh air or a home work-out on YouTube will do wonders to kick-start your mind for the day.
Having a 'To-do' list of all the tasks you want to achieve throughout the day will help maintain your focus. Try to have a range of different tasks you're working on to keep you busy and allow you to change it up when you find your mind wandering. For example, you could focus on emails and phone calls in the morning, then change it up to creating some content after lunch-time. Rewarding yourself with a well-earned tea break or snack each time you finish a specific task will also help to keep you focused and avoid procrastination.
Related reading: Hurree's list of resources
You take regular breaks when you're in the office, so why should it be any different at home? It's very easy for time to pass quickly at home and, before you know it, it’s been hours since you’ve got up to stretch your legs or grab a glass of water. Keep up whatever tea and lunch breaks you are entitled to, making sure you are eating plenty of good food and drinking enough fluids. This will help keep your energy levels high and refresh your mind, getting you ready to sit down to be productive again.
Whether it's going out for a short walk or jog in the morning or afternoon, getting out of the house at least once a day or even every other day will do wonders for your sanity. We’re not saying run to the shops or complete a gym session, no, quite the opposite. Take a walk to the park, to the end of the garden, the beach, or simply down the road if you’re able to. Just make sure you have a varied environment; keep active and get some fresh air and sunlight when you can!
If you're having a period of the day where you're finding your feeling unmotivated and not achieving very much, get up and make yourself a cup of tea, put the washing away or clean the dishes. A few minutes away can help refocus your mind on the task in hand. If you're still struggling, then have a look into the Pomodoro Technique.
It can be difficult when you're used to working around other people and having regular chitchats, to all of a sudden working in complete silence on your own. Try to continue some sort of normality with regular communication with your team.
Having a work-related channel on Slack or a WhatsApp group to keep everyone up-to-date with the latest goings-on in the company is a great way to feel more in-tune with your team. But don't be afraid to pick up the phone or have a video-call too! Speaking out loud and hearing and seeing each other will help you feel much less out of touch.
Be sure to make time for non-work, inconsequential chat with your team too. You’re not a robot, so nobody expects you to be on back to back calls.
At Hurree, we have a daily group video-call to update everyone on our daily tasks (which is also great for accountability) and then, when the formal stuff is out of the way, we have a good catch-up chatting about everything and anything! We've definitely found it great for trying to create some sort of normality.
When working remotely, it can seem difficult to collaborate on any pieces of content. However, with tools such as Google Docs you can have a number of people working on the same document in real-time. This provides complete visibility for everyone involved and allows you to have your team suggest the necessary edits and comments to any written project that requires more than one set of eyes.
If you're working from home, completely on your own, it can be a very quiet place. For some, this works wonders for productivity. But for others, this can make a day really drag. Put on some music or the local radio to help you feel more connected with the world. Or, if you find it difficult to focus while listening to music, try listening to some white noise on YouTube or Spotify. You can even bring a tiny bit of the coffee shop home with Coffitivity. Some studies have shown that this constant hum can boost creativity and maximise focus.
If you're keen to learn about Market Segmentation, then take a look at this free guide: The Essential Guide to Market Segmentation. And for a more in-depth exploration into market segmentation, discover the S.M.A.R.T. method here: The SMART Guide to Market Segmentation 💌 Don't hesitate to get in touch with me directly via emma@hurree.co with any of your questions or comments you may have!
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