8 Tips to Help You #WinFromHome while Working from Home
This week, thousands of office workers are going dip their feet into the work-from-home world as employers across the country try to manage the threat of COVID-19.
Staying focused and productive are quite possibly the hardest parts about working remotely. Although working from your house seems like a dream, the difference in the environment can greatly impact the quality of your work. Here are nine tips to help combat distractions and create an ideal working situation in your home.
1. Create a Dedicated Workspace
Not everyone has a home office and working from your bed or couch sounds amazing, but you don’t want to associate the places you relax with the place you work. Otherwise, you won’t be able to relax there when you really want to.
2. Get Dressed
Don’t work in your pajamas. It’s easy to roll out of bed and get straight to business, but putting on a fresh set of clothes can do wonders for your productivity. Take advantage of not having a dress code! You don’t have to go full business casual as you would in the office, but getting dressed tricks your mind into thinking you have places to go and things to do.
3. Log Out
Create a distraction-free environment for yourself. Having social media at our fingertips is both a blessing and a curse. Social media allows us to remain connected while we’re at home, but it can be a great distraction to some people. If you log out of your apps while you’re working, that’s one more step you have to take if you want to look at Twitter or Instagram, and can be enough to deter people from scrolling through their phone all day.
4. Make a To-Do List
Having a physical list of what you need to get done that day really helps. By creating a list you can easily visualize what exactly needs to be completed. Additionally, have a little ceremony whenever you complete a task on the list. Give yourself a thumbs up, high five, or reward yourself with a favorite snack.
5. Practice Healthy Habits
Keeping your mind focused while working from home is a great priority, but don’t forget about that body! Working from home gives you easy access to your entire kitchen, but try not to snack all day. Constant snacking can make you sluggish and unproductive. Make yourself a healthy lunch to fuel your workload, but don’t eat it at your desk (or wherever you’re working).
6. Set Reminders and Alarms
With no physical indication of a meeting happening (people leaving to go meet in the conference room), you may forget what exactly you have scheduled for that day. Utilize your phone’s reminder system and alarms so you don’t forget about those important talks with your boss, coworkers, and clients.
7. Take a Break
There’s nothing wrong with stepping away from your work and taking a break. Go for a walk or do some stretches. When you take a break from staring at a computer screen, you give your body the opportunity to refocus once you return. Not to mention all the blue light from your monitor can cause strain on your eyes or even migraines. After accomplishing a task, reward yourself with a short break so you can refresh your mind.
8. Communicate
When it comes to working remotely, over-communication is infinitely better than under-communicating. Good communication is necessary for maintaining a productive system and workflow. You’re not physically around your coworkers, so miscommunication can happen more often. Be sure to check in with your managers and teammates in order to avoid any misunderstandings.