COVID-19 has dramatically changed the way we work. During the height of the pandemic in the spring, more than 65 percent of all economic activity in the United States was owed to people working from home, and as the winter months arrive, employees may once more find themselves staying home en masse. Following these tips can help you make the best of the situation if you're currently working from home or find yourself working remotely before the end of the pandemic.
1. Dress for Success
While it can be tempting to spend your workday in your PJs, it's better to get dressed. While you don't have to dress just like you would in the office, putting on business casual or dressier weekend clothes can help put you in a work mindset.
By getting dressed for the day, you're signaling to yourself that you're going to work, setting you up for better productivity.
2. Set Up Your Own Space
Even if you don't have a spare room available to serve as a home office, you should still claim a space as your own during your working hours. Find a location where you can sit comfortably, rest your laptop safely and spread out paperwork, mobile devices and other items. If you're working in a shared area, use a basket, bin or box to store all of your work supplies, so you don't find yourself frantically searching for a pen or a certain file. Also, keep the visual appearance of your work area in mind as it is likely to serve as your backdrop for video calls.
3.Establish Business Hours and Stick to Them
When you're working from home, it can be harder to maintain a work-life balance. You may feel like you should be working during all hours of the day and on weekends simply because you can.
While a regular nine-to-five may not fit with your home environment, you should still establish business hours for each day of the week. When quitting time arrives, make sure you shut down and leave work behind for the day.
4. Create Rituals
When you commute to a workplace, you establish rituals at the beginning and end of your day. Even if you're not aware of them, these routines help you transition to and from a work mindset. Creating new rituals like having a cup of coffee and reading the paper before you get started or going for a quick walk around the block when work ends can give you similar benefits.
5. Set Up a Schedule for Everyone
Working from home isn't just a change for you; it's new for your entire family. By creating schedules for everyone, you can all make the adjustment more easily. Giving your kids activities to do at specific times during the day can limit interruptions and keep them from spending all day in front of screens. Your pet can even benefit from scheduled play and attention.
6. Accept the Unexpected
Even with the best planning, the unexpected will occur when you're working from home. Your Internet will go down. Your child will interrupt. Your cat will walk across the computer during a video conference. When these things occur, stop and take a breath. Remind yourself that times are weird right now, not just for you but for your coworkers, too, and that it's okay if things aren't perfect.
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