Teleworking: the 5 conditions for happiness

Working from home from time to time is an opportunity to better reconcile private and professional life and to boost productivity. Provided you put all the assets on your side. Review

One of the challenges of working from home is, in a way, the management of freedom: this is a great asset for reconciling family life and work, but also a trap when it comes to structuring a schedule.

The challenge for the teleworker is not to work instead of lounging around, but rather to work efficiently in such a way as to be able to turn off the computer, be happy and satisfied with the tasks accomplished, and move on to something else.

1. Work in a suitable environment

You need to have a clean workspace, if possible separate from other functions in the house: just close your door behind you once you're done working. A bright, quiet room with a nice view - for example, of a garden - will help you concentrate and work in an environment that is both serene and motivating. Don't skimp on comfort: an ergonomic office chair, a large screen, or a desk of a suitable size.

2. Establish habits

Routine allows you to set benchmarks and structure your day. It is obviously not necessary to reproduce the office routine exactly (otherwise what would be the point of teleworking?) but it is also about remaining available for your colleagues. Squaring the circle? No way!

The habits to put in place are:

• time to get up

• how to start the day

• when to take a break and how to organize it

• bedtime

3. Start with a bang

This means: getting up early, having a good breakfast, going outside for a walk or better a 20-minute jog, taking a shower, and being ready at 9 am to start the day.

Avoid reading your emails in your pajamas while eating lunch at all costs: you lose out on your personal and professional quality of life!

There's no point in showing your colleagues that you're "on deck" at dawn by logging into the company's social tools if you're only halfway there...

And the little walk outside the house feels great: it makes you feel like you're arriving at the office when you're working at home. And then, if you're not sporty, you can go and have an espresso at the local café: walking there will already give you some fresh air.

4. Set goals

Define your goals for the day, write them down, and measure what you have achieved halfway through. The idea is to gradually evaluate your productivity: we too often have the feeling of not having done anything concrete during the day, whereas once we have reviewed what has been achieved, we see that things have moved forward.

5. Set limits for yourself

Working from home doesn’t mean you can or should work more. The important thing is to work better, not more.