It's fair to say that life has become more difficult for the whole world this past year. Coronavirus has altered everything, and we have all had to modify to new habits of living and working. Working from home can ultimately make you feel stressed, sense of boredom, anxiety, procrastination and many more! These simple tips can aid you while working at home, to feel more productive and upkeep your mental health in these uncertain times.
1. Set a routine and implement it
Without a stable schedule, the lines between work and personal time can get blurred and can be stressful to get right. Follow your regular sleep and work patterns if you can, and remain consistent. Having a clear plan of your day can help deal with the stress. Above all, when your workday stops, stop working! Shut down, stop checking your emails, and focus on your home life.
2. Stay connected
While working from home has its benefits, you may also feel more isolated. In and out of work, human interaction matters so schedule video calls and pick up the phone instead of email if you can. Make time to socialise virtually via social media, zoom calls, etc! If you're struggling with working at home, speak to your colleagues or manager about your apprehensions.
3. Make a devoted workspace
Find a quiet space away from people and distractions like the TV, communal area, etc. Get everything you need in one place before you start to work – chargers, pens, paper, and anything else – and shut the door if you can to maintain a quiet place. Even in a small or shared space, try to designate a zone for work. Finally, get comfortable. It can be hard not to work on your sofa or your bed but having a designated desk place will help with productivity and motivation!
4. Schedule breaks
Know your company's policy on break times and take them into consideration. If you're self-employed, give yourself a satisfactory time during the day to walk away from the computer screen and phone, the same goes for when you're taking your lunch break.
5. Don't hesitate to ask for what you need
If you're employed by a company or organisation that supports your work-from-home setup, request the equipment you need as soon as you start working from home, or within a day or two when you realise you need something new. It's extremely imperative to set examples early that you will ask for what you need to get your job done contentedly, including the right monitor, keyboard, mouse, chair, printer, software, and so forth. Organisations that are accustomed to remote employees often have a budget for home office equipment.
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6. Clear your space
Create a calm atmosphere. Clean your work area and arrange the clutter at least once a day. If you don’t have a designated desk or office, improvise. Place a cushion on the floor and use a coffee table for your workspace. Or find a small portable folding table that you can use in numerous areas of your house. Ideally, you can work anywhere, but having a designated area for you to work out of and organising it regularly can allow you to maintain productivity.
7. Stay active
Even if you spend a lot of time at home, you likely take occasional breaks outside. Integrate more exercise into your daily routine and make a point to get outside if you can, even if it’s just going for a walk around the park.
8. Check-in
Don’t neglect to check in frequently with colleagues and bosses — it’s significant to make yourself ‘visible’ even if you aren’t in the office. As working from home can make you feel isolated, socially reaching out can aid that issue! This can simply be done by a phone call, email, message, zoom call, meeting, etc.
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