Have you suddenly found yourself working from home for the first time? Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic currently sweeping the world, many office workers are finding themselves in the same position. When you’re used to working from an office, transitioning to working from your spare room, kitchen, or sofa can be tricky because it isn’t always everything that it’s cracked up to be. Not only can you find yourself easily distracted by household chores, but you’ve also got to have a tremendous amount of self-motivation and discipline to get things done when you’re nowhere near your boss or co-workers.
The good news in this situation is that there are several things that you can do to make remote working work for you. Keep these tips in mind for an enjoyable, productive working from home experience.
Create a Designated Workspace
The first step you can take to have a more productive remote working experience, is to spend some time creating a designated office space in your home. Moving to this designated space to work will get you into good habits of working in a set schedule and help you avoid working where there are going to be more distractions. If you have a spare room, you might want to utilize this space for home working, but if not, don’t worry. You can turn your kitchen table into a desk or set up in a quiet corner of your living room or bedroom. Having a designated space keeps you in the habit of “going to work” rather than simply working from your sofa or bed.
Keep a Routine
In some cases your employer may expect you to be online at the same time that you usually would be in the office, which makes it easier to keep up a good routine, but if you have more freedom and only need to be online for scheduled video calls with your team then you’re going to need to make sure that you set out a good routine for yourself. Staying in a routine will help you avoid getting behind with work and will make your transition to working from home easier.
Get Plenty of Rest
One of the downfalls of working from home is that it’s more difficult to switch off from work in the same way that you might when returning home from the office. When working from home, you need to make sure that you are getting plenty of rest and don’t give in to any temptations to work outside of normal hours just because you can.
Getting plenty of quality sleep is essential for transitioning to working from home, so make sure you maintain a good sleep schedule. Avoid working from your bed – no matter how tempting – as this can leave you struggling to sleep at night because your brain begins to associate being in bed with working rather than resting. You might also want to make your sleep space more comfortable. If you’re in the market for a new mattress, Memorial Day is a really good time to buy one because there are plenty of sales to explore online.
Stay in Touch with Co-workers
For most people who work in an office, the biggest challenge of working from home is not being able to socialize with their co-workers. When you’re used to sitting in the same office as other people, chatting with them all day, and getting your lunch together, working on your own can take some adjusting to. The good news is that you don’t have to stop socializing with your co-workers. Why not set up a group of some employees to have unofficial video calls as you work, so that you can chat with each other as normal? Another option is to arrange a video lunch hour so you can all catch up.
When you’re not used to it, transitioning to working from home can be tricky, so keep these tips in mind to prepare your home and your mindset for the change.
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