Great tips for working from home this summer

A Cork recruitment professional has put together his top tips for working from home this summer. Number six might surprise you!

Senior iT Recruiter at InnovaSolutions, Brendan Coffey, told the Cork Independent that regular breaks and hydration are amongst the most important things to consider when working from home as the temperatures (hopefully) start to rise in Ireland.

The Cork city-based recruiter’s top six tips are:

1. Make a schedule and stay focused

“The number one challenge in working from home during the summer months is the distractions, whether it be your kids on summer holidays from school running riot around the house or the blistering sunshine coming in the window (we hope!). Having a set work schedule helps you map out the day, stay focused, and be productive. Plan meetings, calls etc at regular blocks throughout the day to maintain focus. This is called time blocking and results in steady and maintained level of productivity throughout the day. Plan challenging tasks early in the morning, if possible, when it is not so hot and your energy levels are at the highest. Plan low level work such as admin work for times when the kids may be around and producing background noise as you will not need as much concentration for such tasks or later in the afternoon when your energy levels are generally lower.”

2. Take regular breaks

“During hot weather, it is essential to take regular breaks as movement increases blood flow and can pull you out of any slump you may experience. When you are feeling a slump during the day, take a short break, grab your water bottle, and have a quick walk.”

3.Hydrate and cool down

“In the summer months when the weather is warmer, caffeine drinks such as coffee or tea can dehydrate you further. Being hydrated is extremely important in maintaining your focus. A coffee or tea drink in the morning when it is a little cooler outside is fine but for the remainder of the day only water should be consumed. If you don’t like plain water, you could add fruit to flavour the water or eat snacks such as watermelon. Get a reusable water bottle and set targets on how many refills you will have per day. Some work colleagues that I know will also take cold showers at the hottest part of the day or put cool towels on their neck, feet or wrists which are pulse points and can cool you down quickly. It’s surprisingly refreshing!”

4. Ventilation!

“Open as many windows and doors as possible to get a good flow of air running through your room. If you have hay fever, be sure to pop an antihistamine early in the morning! If you live in an apartment where there may be limited amounts of airflow or perhaps the outside is too noisy with traffic – in this scenario a fan is strongly advised, even a plug in USB fan on your desk can be a game changer in fighting the battle against the heat. Most stores now sell plug in portable air conditioners also which allow you to close the windows and doors and bring the room temperature down to a comfortable level.”

5. Sleep

“A good night’s sleep is hugely important. There is nothing worse than facing a day of work in the heat after waking up tired. In the summer months it can be harder to get to sleep with the heat. Try to refrain from using fans or air conditioners at night as it is suggested this is not good for you. Sleeping with windows open allows cooler nighttime air in. Start a new bedtime routine that will help you drift off faster despite the heat. Try to get to bed earlier and an hour before bed minimise screen time. It’s the perfect time of year for reading books anyway!”

6. Eat lighter foods

“We all love a good hearty lunch but in the summer months our bodies really don’t need it. Anyone that’s ever had a ‘food coma’ from eating a big fatty and carb-filled lunch can testify that productivity drops for quite some time afterwards. Throw hot weather on top of that and you might even find yourself falling asleep! On hot days it is better to have smaller snacks regularly throughout the day and try to have things like salads or fruit bowls for lunch. Once again, melon is an exceptionally good hot weather food.”