Thriving Through the Coronavirus: Eight Tips for Working from Home
The coronavirus is now forcing companies to consider allowing employees to work remotely. For many, this is the first time they've experienced working from home. While working remote sounds like it's mostly pros with very few cons, as with anything else, it has its benefits as well as its downsides.
One of the main benefits is keeping your employees healthy. Remote work also allows for flexibility in scheduling and more time spent with family. While some cons include feelings of loneliness as well as the ability to become easily distracted. Currently, companies are beginning to have their teams work from home in an effort to keep them healthier during the current coronavirus outbreak. Limiting how much time your workforce is in the office and interacting with other people will increase the likelihood that your team will stay healthy during this time and help to reduce the spread of the virus. Working remotely is a very good strategy and with the use of technology, it can easily be done.
Here are some tips to make sure you and your employees stay happy and productive during your time at home.
CREATE A STRONG DAILY ROUTINE
Working from home may give you the flexibility to work when you’re most productive. It's still very important to ensure you have a consistent daily routine so that you not only stay on task but accomplish your goals. Don't jump right into work tasks create a calming morning routine that starts your day off on a positive note. Some good morning habits include meditation, journaling, and exercise.
COMPILE A RUNNING TO-DO LIST
Complete tasks/projects using Pomodoro Technique which is where you would set a task, work for 25 minutes, then have a set 5-minute break. This would repeat twice, then the third break would be 15 minutes instead of 5. Marking things off as they are completed not only makes you feel productive but helps when reporting back to your manager what was accomplished that day.
TELL YOURSELF YOU’RE GOING TO THE OFFICE
Mentally prepare for your day as you would if you were going into your office as usual. Dedicate a specific workspace that you have to go to each day. Try to separate this as much from your personal life as you possibly can. If you have a separate work office use that, but it can also be as simple as a dedicated chair. Schedule your tasks, breaks, and lunches just as you would in the office. Communicate these breaks with your team so that everyone is on the same page.
AVOID SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER DISTRACTIONS
Log out of your personal social media accounts during work hours, so that you're not tempted to check throughout the day. Avoid going to distracting websites as well, which can be a time waster. Allow yourself the freedom to explore those things during your scheduled breaks, just as you would if you were in the office.
USE TECHNOLOGY TO COMMUNICATE
Stay in touch with your team throughout the day. Slack is a very common platform for this, Google chat/Hangouts is another option, many email providers and CRMs will include some type of team messaging service. Text, FaceTime and WhatsApp are other great options for staying in touch on the go. Managers should schedule short check-ins with the team each day, either individually or as a team. This will help everyone stay informed and help with accountability.
COMMUNICATE EXPECTATIONS WITH THOSE AROUND YOU
You may have a pet, child or significant other with you while you're working. Try not to let this be a distraction, set clear boundaries and expectations with them so you're less likely to be interrupted. Schedule pet activities such as feeding and walking into your daily routine. For example, walk your dogs in the morning and evening at the same time every day so they won't bother you as often when working on other tasks.
PREP YOUR MEALS AHEAD OF TIME
Having your kitchen close by is a great benefit to working from home but taking the to prepare meals will suck away your lunch break. Preparing your breakfast and lunch ahead of time will make your day much less stressful and you will ensure you eat throughout the day.
DOCUMENT YOUR PROGRESS
Having your running to-do list will help with this but you should also keep track of the tasks you’re working on each day. Create a notebook in Evernote or OneNote, even the free notepad, that is titled “working sessions”, I make a new note each day and take notes on what you worked on. The longer you work from home, the more likely the days will bleed together so this will help you stay clear on what was done. Management may want more detailed reports and you can use these notes when reporting back.