While self-isolation and blockages help contain contamination rates to some extent, working from home helps maintain balance in an already declining global economy. To reduce the spread of COVID-19, the first schools and shopping malls closed across the country, and then companies began asking employees to work from home (WFH) when possible. Working from home offers many advantages for increasing performance, business continuity, and achieving a better work-life balance. But if you’re dealing with the situation for the first time, Let’s take a look at the tips and best practices for working from home.
1. Designate your workplace:
Many remote workers use a dedicated space in their home as an office space. You should “commute” there every morning and stay there during working hours. Make sure your workspace is quiet so you can focus on the task and set it up with all your work essentials such as your laptop, planner, pens, etc. Make sure the wall or background is suitable for professional video calls. If you want to establish a morning ritual and follow this every day. This will make you more excited and hold you responsible for getting out of bed. It also gives you time for yourself before you start working.
2. Follow your daily routine before work:
If you are used to getting up at 6 a.m. to exercise, read the newspaper and try to stick to the same routine. You can also leave adhesive sticky notes near your bed. As you risk being locked inside, take a stroll around the block to get some fresh air. Set a schedule and having clear guidelines for when to work and when to call it a day helps many remote workers maintain a work-life balance. Another nice benefit of working from home is that you don’t have to get up, rush out in traffic signals, and go to the office.
3. Make a time schedule:
When you work from home, you are a personal manager. To stay on schedule, segment what you will do and when during the day. Google Calendar makes it easy for you. If you work in your office from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily with an hour for lunch, do the same at home. Sometimes when you’re working from a distance, it’s easy to waste time because you’re not packing for the day when you’re ready to go home, which can often lead to overwork. Set limits and make sure you stay on top of your schedule.
4. Take care of your health:
When we work in an office, we are at the mercy of whatever is available in the cafeteria or the lunch we bring from home. If you are self-employed, allow yourself enough time to get away from the computer screen and the phone. However, research has shown that consumption of fruits and vegetables has a direct link to overall productivity levels. Take some fresh fruits and you can buy more nutritional snacks on our website rather than buying on impulse.
5. Keep a good work plan(Work from Home):
Start your day with a good work plan is one of the most important things when working from home. Many different task management tools make telework a breeze. By organizing tasks into projects, you can tackle them one bite at a time. Try to plan your day before, to make it more official when you wake up the next day to start. By creating a zero-based calendar, you connect to everything you have to do.
6. Get valuable proper communication:
Communication is an essential key to success in any role when it comes to working remotely because you are no longer at a few desks of your colleagues or your manager. Video call or chat with coworkers for routine queries and task management instead of spamming each other’s mailboxes. Ask your manager for regular performance reviews and comments, get adequate face time with him, and keep those interactions regular. If you are home alone, you run the risk of social isolation, which could be harmful.
7. To adapt distractions:
What were harmless distractions on social media in the office becomes a deadly weird where there is no team to get you back to work. Remove social media extensions and turn off all notifications both in your laptop browser and on your mobile phone. Put your mobile silent or vibrant mode, only you can attend urgent calls and office calls. Try to adapt and explain to your children as much as possible what your working time means – but the children will be children. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find things to help you reach this level of activity when you are at home – your motivation can just rock so easily.
8. Get a dedicated office desk:
In an ideal world, remote employees would not only have a dedicated office, but also two computers, one for work and one for personal use. You may want to go as far as partitioning your hard drive and creating a separate user account for work as well. You can set up a separate room for your work or set up a table and chair in your room itself. This will ensure that when you work, you are totally in the working mindset. Find out what would make you happy to stay on your desk and place it around the corner so you can take a look from time to time.
9. Stay connected at online:
In the age of technology, working remotely or at home does not necessarily mean working in isolation. If you usually have a weekly team meeting, you can still organize the team meeting via many different technologies (for example, Skype). If you don’t usually have a team meeting, it’s time to start one. So why not keep the team spirit by scheduling calls and meetings, as usual, checking your colleagues to see if they are doing well or if they need your help. You might even find that you can increase your productivity at home and have more meetings without the distractions of the office. Working from home can help you focus on your short-term work, but it can also make you feel cut off from the larger operations that take place in the office.
10. Take some short breaks:
It is important to take breaks not only to maintain work efficiency but to allow you to not sit in front of the PC. Don’t let the guilt of working in the building you sleep to prevent you from taking five minutes to relax. No one can or should work continuously. Breaks are a must, especially in a stressful time like this. So, when planning your work schedule, be sure to include a few tiny break slots in between. For example, if you work eight hours a day, take a break of five to ten minutes each quarter. Short breaks will help you break from the monotony of work while allowing the brain and body to relax.
11. Keep in touch with your colleagues:
Your colleagues can understand your work situation better than anyone because they are on the same boat. Share your frustrations and difficulties with working from home during the coronavirus epidemic. Meetings should have an agenda that actively involves all members so that they can contribute. Beyond handling phone calls, be sure to discuss the larger projects they are working on. A conversation with familiar faces will help you feel connected in times of isolation and but one who depends on you can be a great motivational boost. Be the support structure for your loved ones and colleagues in this time of need, and they will surely return the favors.
12. End up your day:
Just like you should start your day with a routine, create a habit that signals the end of the workday. You can have a simple routine, like turning off your computer and turning on a favorite podcast. Whatever you choose, do it regularly to mark the end of working hours. In other words, keep taking the time to get ready each morning. While you don’t necessarily need to do your hair, make-up, or cut your beard, you still want to feel good, awake, and ready for the day. Exactly you don’t have to stop at this time, but knowing that the workday is technically over can help you start the process of backing up your work and leaving it for the evening.
Final Thoughts:
Every business should be maintaining business continuity is something that every business executive needs to think about. Working from home may be a new one, but we are confident that you can conquer it with ease. Often times when you feel depressed and don’t feel like working, remember that you have the privilege of continuing to work. You have something that keeps you from thinking about the depressing and stressful situation in which our world finds itself. Many people no longer have stable jobs. So be thankful and make the most of what you have. However, it is important to stay productive, healthy, and social even when you are working from home. If you follow these steps, working from home will become much more comfortable and convenient for you. We hope you find this home works useful. Stay careful, stay safe.
