Nowadays, amid the COVID-19 crisis, working from home is a necessity, not a choice. Employees have been asked to stay home and adjust to a whole new working environment. For sure, each one of you is facing his own challenges. Working from home can be difficult especially for those who are doing it for the first time.
Your home is the place where you relax so, you need to find a way to put yourself in a work mode. Create a functional workspace that will allow you to concentrate and not be distracted by other activities.
Tip: Try to separate your work area from your personal spaces.
If you have an employer and are not working for yourself, you must make sure that you have specific guidelines about your working hours. Is it an eight-to-five schedule or is there flexibility? This will help you be consistent with your obligations and be on the same track with the rest of the team.
Tip: Create a hard line between your work and personal time!
Being at home, you might find it a good idea to keep your pyjamas while working. Don’t!
When staying in your pyjamas, your brain will be sending signals like ‘’it’s bedtime’’, ‘’it’s time to relax’’ but is not! Choose to wear clothes that you feel comfortable in but at the same time, make you feel like you are in a physical office environment.
Tip: If you are having an official video conference with a client or an associate, dress as if you are attending a physical meeting. This will make you look more professional.
This could be difficult to cope with unless you set some boundaries. For example, if you have young children, you will need to explain to them that mum or dad is working at home and in specific hours, needs to have quiet. Now, you are thinking ‘’how am I going to do this?’’. Hard to answer but, try to be creative and at the same time, find different ways to keep them occupied.
Tip: If you have background noise that annoys you, music and earphones could be your solution!
Even if you are one of those persons that love working from home, at some point, you might feel lonely and isolated. Social interaction could be vital for your creativeness and productivity. Include video conferences with your colleagues in your schedule instead of just using emails and messaging. It will keep you alert and will reinforce your feeling of inclusion.
Tip: Don’t talk to houseplants, talk to people!
