Have you ever had to work from home?
With the COVID-19 outbreak affecting all aspects of our daily life– from international travel and sales to our own mental health– many companies are requiring as many employees as possible to work from home until the spread of the virus is under control.
Working from home might sound like a dream come true for many people that now can now sleep in an extra hour. However, it can be a real challenge to balance tasks and stay productive without the camaraderie and stability of working in the office.
We need to work a little harder to make sure loneliness doesn’t become a factor in our work. So, let’s look at how you can manage your time effectively while working from home.
Here are some key tips that will set you up for success while you telecommute:
1. Find your workspace
First things first, try to find a comfortable workspace that allows you to organize everything you need for the job. If you have a home office, great. But if not, don’t worry, the most important thing is just to have a dedicated, fixed workspace.
Having a virtual workspace is also important. You may not have a printer, work phone, or all the physical documents you need, but you have to recognize which shortcuts, applications, and online platforms you use most.
Set aside your favorite tools, give your teammates access to them, choose an app for video conferencing, and get those ideas flowing!
2. Define your work schedule
The key to success is organizing your time wisely. Set your meetings and divide your calendar into different sections so you can easily visualize what to do and when. Make sure to set aside your priorities.
Try to maintain your focus throughout the workday. It can be difficult at times, but don’t get distracted by the little things happening around your house! Pretend you’re at the office. Start your day by getting out of bed, putting on your work clothes, and making breakfast. Follow your normal routine and stay focused until the end of the day when you turn off your computer.
Time management can be one of the hardest parts about working from home. That’s where we recommend Triskelion, the serious game where students learn how to avoid procrastination, improve efficiency, and enhance performance. Become one of the more than 28,000 students signed up and playing online right now.
3. Communicate more
With everyone working from home, it’s more important than ever to communicate effectively with your teammates and make sure nothing is lost in the shuffle. You have to clearly set your working hours, establish regular status meetings, and offer constant feedback to those who need it.
If you’re a team manager, set your expectations and stick to them. Let your team know what the easiest way to get a hold of you is, set a workflow, and clearly lay out what everyone should be focusing on.
Sometimes this is easier said than done. That’s where Pacific, the industry’s first serious game on leadership and team management, can come in. With this online video game, managers learn to lead their team in a dynamic and effective way.
+
4. Stay connected
Working from home doesn’t mean you’re working alone. Even though you don’t have in-person meetings with your team, you can still connect via virtual meetings, video chats, and online courses. Now is the time to dust off the headsets and use the magic of the internet to stay together as a team, no matter the distance.
Worried you have to cancel an event? Don’t panic, just move it online. You have all the tools you need, so take advantage and start creating opportunities to get the team together: webinars, video calls, chats, and more.
5. Find balance
Working from home can be overwhelming if you don’t divide your time well. So, you need to set boundaries between “work mode” and “home mode.” These boundaries will help you maintain a healthy work-life balance and keep any aspect from overpowering the other.
Being productive also means that you need to take moments to decompress throughout the day. Be mindful of the clock and remember to make sure you’re setting apart time for meals, staying active, drinking enough water, and taking breaks. These things are essential to staying productive in the long run.
Working from home always comes with its own challenges, but, now more than ever, it’s important to stay focused on your goals and daily priorities. For this reason, we want to share our downloadable infographic with 5 additional tips to help boost your productivity while telecommuting.
Download infographic.
Remember, no matter where you are in the world, we’re all in this together. We are here to help you master your skills and face any challenge. Start today!
