3 Tips for Working From Home
COVID-19 has forced the world into an unprecedented state, the likes of which have never been seen. The coronavirus pandemic has forced the entire world into a nightmare isolation scenario and we are all trying to come to terms with this new uncertain reality that we find ourselves in. Every day, COVID-19 brings us new challenges and even more uncertainty, not only for our families but also for our businesses.
To many of us, working from home is a completely new experience. For me, however, it is just another day at the office. I’ve had the good fortune to have been able to work remotely for the past 15 years or so. Both in owning Lethologica and as an employee working for a company at a distance. Since I’ve had years of experience with this, I thought I would share a few tips that might help you make the best of working from home during this very surreal time.
Routine
Everyone has a normal daily routine for getting up and going to work. Mine is to wake up and get dressed, turn the coffee on, and take out the puppy. I have breakfast with my daughter and then head up to the home office and start my day by going through my email. When you are working from home, try to carry out your normal routine, but instead of getting in the car or transit, head to wherever you have set your workspace up (which would preferably not be in your bedroom, or it can mess up your sleep hygiene). Sticking to this routine will help you focus and it helps to create a sense of normalcy.
Scheduling
You have to keep a schedule. Just because you are at home doesn’t mean you can slack off and binge-watch your favourite show on Netflix all day. Continue to make the calls you need to make and write the emails that need to be sent. Nobody can predict how long we are all going to be in this situation, therefore, we have to push forward and look for new opportunities.
Take a break
This is something that I still struggle with, even after all these years of working from home. You need to set boundaries with your time. It is very easy to continue to work past 5 pm or whatever time you would normally work until. Being at home also means that work is just a computer away. You have to be able to take small breaks throughout the day to stretch your legs and get the blood flowing. Unlike being at the office, you won’t have some of the distractions that you would normally have. This can be both good and bad. There will be new distractions to deal with that will become part of the daily routine.
Everyone is in a similar situation. We all have to be patient. Some will handle working remotely better than others. The best thing to remember is that, as someone told me years ago, “This is temporary; it’s only a moment in time.”
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