COVID-19 has made us change our ways of working. Here are 5 tips to help you work from home and get things done!
The current situation can be extremely stressing for the majority of the population. The uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, has us feeling more panicked. However, if you are one of the lucky ones such as myself, you are still able to work from home.
However, working from home may not come easy for everyone. Home is where you relax, unwind with your family and rest up. So how do you shift this environment into an effective place to work?
Tip 1: Prepare as if you're going to work
I believe this is the most important tip. If you do not wake up with the intentions of going to work, you will not be motivated to work at all.
So whatever your morning routine is, DO IT! For example here is my normal routine:
Wake up 8:00am - Brush Teeth & shower
Have breakfast 8:20am - Protein Smoothie
Leave for work 8:35am
Make coffee & log onto systems 8:50am
Routine adapted to work from home:
Wake up 8:15am - Brush teeth, shave & shower
Have breakfast 8:40am - Protein Smoothie
Make coffee & log on to systems 8:45am
See, not much difference. Keeping a structured routine in your day helps to keep you mentally prepared.
Tip 2: Create a working space that's free from distractions
I previously mentioned in this blog, that home is where you relax and spend time with your family. To create an effective home working environment, you must first find a space that's free from distractions. Ideally, this will be in the form of an office or spare room. Personally, I use the dinning room table. If you can, try to perch yourself next to the window. That's because natural light can improve your productivity. A study found that workers exposed to natural light experienced an 84 percent drop in issues such as headaches, eye strain, and blurred vision.
If you work best with a little background noise, stick the radio on or play some music from Spotify. Just try not to leave on news related channels. Give yourself a break from the current COVID-19 flooded news and keep your anxiety levels as low as possible.
Tip 3: Drink plenty of water
This should be obvious, but it's easily forgotten. Make sure you do not forget to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Water is vital for our bodies, but it's also very important for productivity. In general, you should drink the recommended 8 glasses per day.
TIP: Get one of those fancy water bottles that you can purchase off Amazon that has markings on the side telling you how much to drink by what time. Sounds a little ridiculous, but trust me it will help! Set yourself the goal of drinking the suggested amount each day. I guarantee that by the end of the week you will feel more alive, focused and healthier!
Tip 4: Set up a great communication line with colleagues
One thing that lockdown can either improve or deteriorate is communication. But do not threat! There are so many platforms out there that can help.
I recommend using Workplace By Facebook or Zoom Conferencing.
In my opinion Workplace by Facebook is the best platform for any business. At OutsideIn, we will still be using this even after we can go back to work. Imagine Facebook solely for your business and your team. Yep, that's what it's like. You can conference call, post updates, create group etc.
Tip 5: After work care
Ok, this one is not completely work related, but it's very important! Once work has finished, switch off!
Working from home may give you the sense of feeling that you have to work more hours or can never just shut off. Well, you can! And you should!
A good tip I mentioned earlier is to find yourself a unique space to work in. This is so once work has finished you can separate yourself from it. This will keep your mental health strong and helps you to hold on to the routine you once had. You know, when you finished work, came home and carried on with your life. The same applies.
So whether your pre lockdown routine was to finish work, cook dinner or walk the dog. Do that.
Wrap Up // Summary
Prepare as if you're going to work.
Create a working space that's free from distractions.
Drink plenty of water.
Set up a great line a communication line.
Finish work and carry on your pre-lockdown routine.
Thank you for reading. I hope you find this useful. Good luck and stay positive.
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Jack Willoughby