Millions of people around the world have found themselves working remotely recently during the COVID-19 pandemic and like most of us, you’re trying to be as productive as possible under the current circumstances.
Remote working does have its benefits, you can structure your day with more creatively than usual and here are some tips to help you do just that.
Let’s try and see the positives during this difficult time, you can make time for things you might not usually have time for or if you wish to do so, sit in your pj’s all day, although we don’t recommend that.
Create a calm working environment
Dedicate an area of “office space” in your home, you are less likely to be distracted if you have a specific area where you can work remotely.
If possible, set up a work station near a window or other source of natural light – incorporate plants and flowers for added ‘zen’.
Make your bed and get dressed
If you get up and make your bed you’ve achieved the first task of the day is a famous quote by United States Navy Admiral William H McRaven and think that’s more important today than ever.
The reason being, accomplishing such a minute task in the morning will give you a small sense of pride and accomplishment, encouraging you to do more.
You would do this on a daily basis under normal circumstances (I hope so, anyway) so it shouldn’t be different now you are working at home.
Making your bed and getting dressed as you would usually, will put you in that ‘work’ mindset when working remotely.
Plan your day
Try and create a schedule to loosely stick to, assign time for things on your to-do list and alleviate some stress by using this time to complete tasks you normally wouldn’t have time for.
Ensure you have a proper work-life balance and set aside time for exercise or chores around the house.
Stick to working hours and make sure you give yourself proper breaks away from your office environment this way you won’t lose motivation to complete your work.
Keep in touch
It’s not just you, likelihood is all your team members are also working from home, so it’s important you continue communication to keep morale strong.
Isolation and social distancing have a large impact on face-to-face interactions which the majority of humans crave, set up a Google Hangouts so you can all stay in touch and keep spirits high.
Distractions
Try and avoid social media during the time you have dedicated to work and wait until your downtime to catch up.
If you are someone who can work with background noise, putting some music/radio on or even the TV in the background might make you feel less isolated in your house.
End your day
Just like you started the day, make sure you set yourself a time to log off, this is the hardest thing for remote employees.
Switching the computer off makes it easier for you to wind down and separate your work life to your home life.
Definitely take advantage of having extra time to be more proactive but mentally logging off will make you more inclined to get going the next day.