Working from home is becoming the new normal as more people than ever are socially distancing in an effort to halt the spread of Covid-19. Being at home and working in your study sounds like bliss initially. You get to wake up late, work in your pajamas and sit in front of the TV while answering emails. Employ these tactics and your remote working days will slowly become full of procrastination. You need to approach working from home in the same way as you would the daily grind of a commute otherwise you can slowly lose the will to live.
Find A Workspace
Don’t fall into the trap of doing your work on the sofa in front of the TV. While you might be comfortable, the posture is all wrong, you will end up getting a bad back, and you won’t be able to separate your home life from your work life. Instead, set up a space that is purely for work. You don’t want your kids to be screaming around your feet while you try to speak to a client on a call. A home office is ideal. Consider setting up the study and making it fit for work. Have your stationery, your reliable hardware and lighting set up to make your desk area conducive to work. Your workspace will help prevent procrastination as the Netflix box sets and your offspring are in other parts of the home.
Have Breaks
Being cooped up indoors all day trying to hone your online business can be challenging. You may begin to get cabin fever, headaches and feel unmotivated. Tackle this by taking regular breaks. Ensure that you take ten minutes every couple of hours to venture outside, take a stroll to the park or sip your favorite cup of coffee. Taking a break doesn’t mean procrastinating, it means giving your brain a chance to rejuvenate and feel refreshed. This means that you will return to your workspace with a renewed energy and a boosted mood. Make sure that you don’t allow the breaks to elongate. The three hour elaborate lunch that you might not have planned but has suddenly appeared is not necessary.
Social Media
The world of social media has made people feel connected at these challenging times. However, they have also been sources of procrastination for those individuals working from home. You need to think about banishing the social media channels during the day. Ensure that you can remain connected to your work colleagues using Microsoft Teams or Zoom instead of Facebook Messenger. Feeling isolated and missing the camaraderie of the office can see feelings of loneliness and anxiety develop.
To protect your mental well being, you need to get rid of the Covid-19 stats that bombard you through social media every day and focus on staying connected to colleagues. Set up a working from home group for those local ‘at home’ workers close by. You can chat, rant and rave together. By feeling less alone, you can recreate the office style vibe albeit virtually.
Follow this simple guide and you can make a real success of working from home.
