From a literal perspective, remote work could have multiple interpretations for different individuals. Many individuals think of it as working away from a school or central office by connecting through the means of various communication applications such as video conferencing, email and intranets.
With most of the professionals around the world self-isolate due to the coronavirus, many individuals are now required to suddenly manage the complexities related to working from home while they share a crowded space.
In this article, we describe the 7 effective tips to work from home during coronavirus.
Designate A Workspace Or Home Office
When it comes to working remotely, one of the biggest challenges is to keep home and work lives separate. If you are unable to completely disconnect from work, your productivity at work would suffer and your life at home will also take a hit.
If you are used to going to your office on a daily basis, the separation between home and work is physical. As an individual, you do want to try and recreate a work environment that is similar to your office.
You can try to make your workspace comfortable so that you can be productive in those working hours. You may not be spending a lot of time outdoors.
This could be due to losing out on the time that you have been spending outdoors during your commute. As a result, it is essential to find an area that provides good natural lighting if possible.
Keep Clearly Defined Working Hours
Just as you designate yourself a physical workspace it is important that you have clarity regarding when you are working and when you are not.
You would certainly be able to work at your absolute best and will be ready to successfully transition back to your workspace if you are able to stick with your regular work hours.
If your work is collaborative, being consistently on a fixed schedule as your other coworkers will make much easier. Having a separate workspace and time to work would certainly allow you to be present in your home life.
Communication
If you don’t work from home on a regular basis, there is a possibility that you may initially struggle if you are suddenly required to work remotely. The key to mitigating these challenges is communication, specifically with your line manager. This could be either before you have made the switch or when you know the switch is happening.
It is essential that you do come up with a work plan that does layout a realistic expectation for how often you must be able to check in and how you would be able to communicate any potential changes to your team members. Do the same with everyone that you collaborate with throughout the day on a regular basis.
Socialize Online
When you and your office members suddenly start to work from home, you are missing out on the casual social interactions that you used to have throughout the day that helped you to eradicate loneliness and boredom from work.
You can combat this challenge by communicating with your coworkers throughout the day through the means of Zoom, Slack, calls, text message or any other tool through which your company communicates.
Social interactions are not limited to the workday or the people that you work around with. You can also have a casual chat with your friends through various communication or social media applications. Due to the global pandemic, it has now become more essential than ever that we are able to connect and take care of each other.
Avoid Distractions
One of the biggest challenges that are faced by people working from home is Distraction, specifically for people that are not used to it. If you are working remotely due to the new coronavirus, checking in on the COVID-19 updates will regularly be at the front of your mind.
It is certainly beneficial to be informed. However, it is also easy scrolling yourself and further increasing your anxiety. If you are someone that is susceptible to get distracted every time if you do get news alert, it is essential that you turn off notifications during the workday.
Scheduled Breaks
One of the most common misconceptions regarding remote work is that it allows stacking. However, slacking is related more to personality and fit rather than in the context of work.
It is essential to note that taking scheduled breaks not only helps to keep your mind fresh but it also helps to signal to others that your mental and physical wellbeing is essential.
Integrate Recreational Activities
As adults, we know that it is essential to take out time for exercising and taking out time for recreational activities.
If you are self-isolating and working from home due to coronavirus pandemic, it is pivotal to schedule physical and creative activities into your regular work patterns for everyone.
If the weather does allow, do get outside or plan indoor physical activities such as meditation, yoga or interactive video games.
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