how to be productive when you work from home During The Corona Virus Outbreak
with the current coronavirus outbreak, Most of school are shut down, companies are asking employees to work from home in hope that keeping employees further apart from each other, will reduce the chance of group spread as well as the opportunity for the virus to be caught during a commute or in communal office spaces. But still working remotely can be a challenging, stressful experience with distractions everywhere around you, you have to be productive! here are some tips to stay sane while working from home.
Have a Workspace, Seriously Get out of Bed
Sorry to disappoint you but really you don’t want to work from your bed, you have to be emotionally prepared, wake up brush your teeth and get dressed in order to be presentable during your professional video chats, it might help your mental health as you maintain a daily routine you are keeping a sense of order during your quarantine.
By having a workspace you separate your personal home from work life, it doesn’t necessary means having a seperate room for the work office, but a corner that separates you from the rest of the home. Try to make your work space as comfortable as possible because you will be sitting there for 8 hours!
It is important to keep your workspace clean and organised to boost your productivity. Throw out what you don’t need, determine what items, paperwork, and supplies you truly need, Determine what you use everyday, once in a while and what you never use. Clean your office regularly to help you stay organized in the long term.
Make it pretty, Try to put systems in place that look so good that they inspire you to maintain them.For example: Nice, matching boxes, baskets and storage containers.Creating nice labels also helps to keep a space more organized.
Manage your time, Create a schedule
One efficient way to manage your time is by pretending you are still going to the office, Structure your day like you would in the office. Do you starts at 9 am in the office ? do you check your emails first thing ? this structure will help keep you focused and productive.
Just like you separate the workspace from home life you need to do the same for your working hours, keep clear what your working hours are, now when you are working from home, you are the one in charge of your environment and you have to behave like an employee, If you are living with other people this work life separation is even more important, try to disconnect and be focused when you are working.
Take breaks Just like you would at the office
Feeling comfy at home doesn’t mean you don’t have to take breaks, they are important when working at home. Take your usual breaks, lunch break you can cook something quick and replace your other walk or coffee breaks that will help you feel refreshed and ready to get back to work.
Avoid being distracted by the news or anything else
Avoiding distractions is the biggest challenge for people working from home especially those who aren’t used to it, During this pandemic of COVID19 we are more distracted searching for the news every 5 minutes reading latest updates, confirmed cases, government decisions etc, as things change every hour not only every day, Our number one distractions is the news.
It’s good to stay informed, of course, but it’s also easy to scroll yourself into an anxious mess.It is better to decide times to check these updates for exemple during your breaks or after you finish work. Relax and don’t stress the news will be there after you finish 5 pm.
Communicate with your supervisors often.
Don’t hesitate to get on the phone or on a video call with your bosse often to make sure nothing is lost in the distance. Be transparent and ask questions, it is normal when you are working from home so you don’t lose track of what is going on, you will also know on what page you are by asking details, If you are facing challenges during your remote work reach out to others who might help you, they don’t have to be the same building to help.
End Your Day
Don’t overwork yourself. It’s natural to want to prove to your boss that you really are working when you’re at home. So, you may want to put in some extra time to get even more done.
There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as you don’t take it to extremes. If you’re at home for an extended period of time, resist the temptation to put in 10- or 12-hour days without taking a break. Working at home means work. But “working” is not synonymous with “no breaks.”
Find some work-life balance
when you start working from home you’re decreasing a lot of social interactions ( which is good during this outbreak to prevent the spread of the virus, protecting ourselves and the community) But still when you are done from work call your love ones, video chat with friends and family, don’t be so hard on yourself, remember you are still human and you need some time off the screen.
