4 Tips For Working From Home
You may know the old saying: “Don’t bring your work home with you.” But, as of March 2020, with the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), many of us are being forced to do the opposite of just that. Today’s normal is remote work, and it’s time to adapt. New skills, habits, and changes in attitudes are needed to help us to stay productive and balance our professional and family lives.
In the beginning, it’s easy to see the benefits of working from home. With a shorter commute, comfier clothes, and a lighter schedule, there are many things to love about a home office. There’s no question, though, that as the days go by, they seem to grow longer. There are new distractions, forgotten tasks, and missed deadlines. We’re here to help! We’ve compiled four tips that we’ve found helpful in this transition to working remotely. Check them out below.
1. Create a Designated Workspace
Kickstart your mental transition by physically transitioning to a new workspace. If you previously had a home office in place, you’re already set. Pick a specific desk or table in a room that you can transform into your work area. Don’t allow yourself to work from your bed, couch, or just anywhere else you can sit. This spatial division will allow you to “leave” work and allocate your mental energy between work and non-work tasks.
Everyone’s workspace will look a little different. Grab a coffee, wear some slippers, play music. Your environment impacts your productivity. No matter what your area includes, we recommend keeping a clean space and backdrop for your video conferences—this will help you focus more on the call and less on cleaning the mess behind you.
2. Make a Regular Routine
While working from home, it’s best to maintain some form of normalcy by implementing characteristics of your previous routine. Creating your own schedule and managing to-do lists, whether it’s week-to-week or day-to-day, will help you stay on top of your responsibilities. We know self-governing can be a difficult task when facing a brand new series of distractions, so a regular schedule is essential to ensuring productivity in your temporary office space.
Don’t forget even in the office there are natural interruptions during the day to give you a mental and physical break. Continue that pattern at home by scheduling “interruptions” throughout your day. You can spend lunch with the family, walk your dog, watch a Netflix show, or even catch up on a household chore. But don’t forget—a deadline at home should still be as important to you as it was in the office. A successful routine will help maintain a healthy balance between work and play, but also keep your day structured.
3. Prioritize Your Health (Mental & Physical)
How you spend the time away from work is just as valuable as your time spent at work. Periodic breaks, like a walk or a 7-minute yoga session, can help you remain focused and motivated. Taking a miniature hiatus every 50 minutes can lead to increased productivity as you’re giving your brain and body the opportunity to recharge.
In addition to brain breaks, remember healthy living basics. Refill your water bottle several times throughout the day to stay hydrated. Coffee, tea, and juice are fantastic, but they aren’t sufficient substitutes. Stock your pantry with energizing snacks like fruits, nuts, or granola bars from Central Market. Consider changing your normal eating habits to ones more in tune with your new work style.
Oola Bowls is offering takeout!
4. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
For those new to remote work, a full-time at-home lifestyle under these circumstances can feel a lot like isolation. Take full advantage of both the old and ever-evolving channels of communication to remain in contact with family members and co-workers. This is vital for both social support and productivity.
At home, staying focused will be challenged by a whole new set of obstacles. There may come a time that it feels like it’s you against the world. Reduce your distractions by communicating with each person when you’re available and when you’re not. These boundaries make it possible for you to give your best to both your family and your job.
While there isn’t a “one size fits all” home office, morning routine, daily mantra, or time management method, try something you feel is manageable, and be willing to adjust. See if these tips work for you! We want to know what your remote work experience has been like.
We’ve created an FAQs page to share the latest industry and community updates on COVID-19 from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Let’s grow through this challenging season by learning from each other. If you’re a business owner, contact the Jeremy Ganse Team to share how you’ve been impacted by COVID-19.