Like most offices across the country – and, indeed, the world – Juno HQ is closed until the government advises us it’s safe to open our doors again. But that’s not stopped us from creating. Our wonderful, hardworking team packed up their laptops, desktops and cables, and have all set up their own unique offices at home.

With a whole nation told to stay indoors, more people are working from home than ever. For some, this will just be an extension of their normal home-working routine. But for others, it will be their first time working away from their office – with all the temptations, distractions and frustrations that come with that. 

As our second week of isolation rolls around, we thought we’d see how the Juno team are getting on in their new home offices. Here are their top tips for doing some great work from home. 

Stick to your normal routine

Chosen by: Jonny Baggott, Head of Marketing

“I go through the usual routine as if I’m going to work; I get up early and try to fit some yoga in – or at least five minutes of stretching – then get myself dressed and presentable to an acceptable level. I take regular 10-minute breaks every two hours, with a short 20-30 minute lunch. If it’s warm enough, I eat outside. To recreate work chat, I like to have some banter on Slack. The podcasts I listen to are always with two or more people, which kind of makes you feel like you are in on the conversation. It’s important to get outside or at least open the window to let fresh air in, too. I'm in a bright room next to a window, which works great for me.” 

If in doubt, tea

Chosen by: John Holt Ripley, Lead Front-End Developer 

“Tea. Plenty of tea. Fresh air and then more tea. It's like punctuation. Do one task, get a tea, reset, start the next task.”

Don’t work in the room you sleep in

Chosen by: Simon Lincoln, Commercial Director

“If you can help it, don’t work in the room you sleep in. Try to call people, play music and make your home feel as lively and social as possible, even if it’s just you. If you start to flag after lunch, reward yourself with a nice coffee.”

Stay active

Chosen by: Alex Luong, Lead Designer

“Get up, have a walk and stay active. It's easy to slip into a sedentary lifestyle when working from home, especially in a lockdown situation. Do everything you can to stay active, even if it’s just doing a home workout.”

Get plenty of light

Chosen by: Ross Pepper, Head of Marketing

“Natural daylight is hugely important and does wonders for productivity. The Daylight and Workplace Study found that being seated by a window that has natural light decreases eyestrain, headaches and blurred vision caused by prolonged screen use. Stay active, hydrated and take regular breaks to take in some fresh air and daylight!”

Plan for the week ahead

Chosen by: Jack Potter, Designer

“At the end of each week, just before five o’clock on a Friday afternoon, I like to loosely plan what my next working week will look like. Allowing flexibility in this plan will allow time for those one or two tasks that always pop-up out of the blue. Doing this at a time when you are least productive sets you up nicely for the following week. Being able to confidently check off tasks throughout the week really makes you feel like you are making some sort of progression, which is always a good thing when you may not directly see the benefits that your work is having on the company for yourself.”

Take regular breaks to boost productivity

Chosen by: Brittany Stackhouse, Project Manager

“Plan your breaks before you start work each day – this is great to do before signing off the day before. It will help clear your mind to unwind in the evening. Shorter, frequent breaks are better than longer breaks. Try breaking your day into 25-minute chunks, followed by a five-minute break, or 40-minute chunks with a 10-minute break. During those breaks, take some time away from your screens. Make sure you have an official lunch break away from your workstation. Lastly, go outside, even if it’s just the garden! Remote workers tend to hide away inside for days on end. Go get some fresh air and, if it’s nice, work outside!”

Listen to lyricless playlists

Chosen by: Chloé Rose Whitmore, Copywriter

“I love working from home – but when you’re faced with complete silence, it can start to feel a bit lonely. If, like me, you can’t work to music with lyrics, try listening to a lyricless playlist. There are loads on Spotify – I like to vary it by listening to a mix of rain sounds, jazz, acoustic and techno focus playlists. When I work through one, I move onto the next. Aside from keeping me sane, this actually helps my concentration and stops my mind from wandering.” 

Do the work that excites you

Chosen by: David Wiltshire, Managing Director

“Get involved in a project that excites you, and helps the country in the crisis. It makes the days go faster, and the WhatsApp groups are a busy stream of communication around the clock. Your workstation is now a modern-day Bletchley House.”