We are now halfway through our 3-week lockdown stint (which is likely to be extended) and people are still very much finding their feet with the unexpected need to work from home.
It’s a challenging time for us all and if you are not used to working from home it can be either stressful, overwhelming or de-motivating…. or all three.
As a Virtual Assistant, my role involves me working remotely anyway so I am very much accustomed to this working environment. I understand that this change is not going to come naturally to most and so I have put together a helpful guide on how to survive working from home during the Coronavirus pandemic for you.
Have a dedicated work area
If you are used to going into an office each day you may not have a dedicated office space or the relevant equipment, such as additional monitors and desk etc. Therefore, you will have needed to create an office space within your home to work from.
Some of you are having to use your dining table or even a lounge coffee table for your desk so it is important to ensure that you maintain a good separation between work and home life. When you have finished work for the day, shut your laptop and put this, along with any paperwork away.
If you are fortunate enough to have an office space within your home already, or a spare room which has now been promoted to office status, try to make this space comfortable and inviting. A good source of natural daylight will help you to ‘stay awake’ and a comfortable chair is essential if you are going to be sitting at a desk for long periods of time.
Get dressed
This might seem a simple and obvious tip to some, but it is in fact an important one! Do not underestimate the power of getting dressed! As tempting as it may be to sit in your Pyjamas all day, this should be avoided as it can in fact encourage you to be unmotivated and less productive.
Getting dressed doesn’t necessarily mean you have to wear your usual formal work wear, however, the simple act of getting dressed will psychologically tell you that it is time to get things done!
This also applies to the general morning routine of getting up and ready for work with taking a shower, brushing your hair etc. If you are a woman who normally wears make-up, then put some on if it makes you feel better or a little more ‘human’.
We are now in a world of video conferencing and using this platform more than ever during this current climate, so it’s important to ensure you look presentable thus creating the right impression to whoever you are having your virtual meeting with.
Have a routine
Now this is a critical one! As with designating your office area, it is essential to define your working hours and try to stick to them. This may be a little hard if, like me, you are combining the homeschooling of your children with your work, however, it is important to have set boundaries in place which are communicated to the rest of your household. If you have a partner at home who is also working, it might be a good idea to have a rota in place for specific times that each of you are responsible for your children. If you are a single parent, you may want to get up slightly earlier (where there will be fewer distractions) to make a head start for the day.
Having a routine will help you to put your full attention into your workload and will also encourage you to be more present in your home life too. When you are working from home, you are ‘in charge’ and accountable for your own actions and should know when to ‘clock’ on/off, so try not to let your work run into your evenings wherever possible. For more tips and advice on how to maintain a healthy work-life balance read my previous blog Have you got the right balance?
Schedule breaks
Whether you are self-employed or work for a company, it is important that you take breaks in order to rest your eyes and mind from the screen. Try to schedule two 15-minute breaks and a lunch hour during your working hours as this will allow you to recharge and refocus.
You may want to spend your lunch hour enjoying a nice lunch with family members, preparing dinner or by using this time to go for a walk (the government has restricted this to one outdoor exercise per day by yourself or with members of your household only).
Avoid distractions
It is easy to get waylaid with household chores such as putting the laundry on or doing the vacuuming but it’s important not to let these tasks get in the way of your working hours – you would not have been able to do them had you been at your office!
Also, try not to get distracted by incoming calls/texts that are not work related or browsing your social media pages etc as these can be a real motivation killer!
There will, of course, be some unavoidable distractions (i.e. children), however, where possible, try to remain focussed on your workload.
Communicate with others
During this time, we are all feeling isolated in one way or another, but it will be particularly hard for those who are used to the hustle and bustle of working in a busy office environment.
Try to stay connected with colleagues and clients as much as possible with telephone calls, emails and video conferencing. We are extremely lucky that today’s modern technology allows us to use applications such as Zoom, Skype or FaceTime to maintain ‘virtual face to face’ contact. Video conference calls help not only with communication but with connectedness and collaboration too.
It’s a very surreal and worrying time for us all and so it’s more important than ever to check in on your employees, clients and fellow business owners to see how they are coping and offer your support.
Stay positive
It is not easy to stay positive after being hit with this sudden crisis and with having lockdown forced upon us. Who’d have thought that when we stepped into 2020 that we would be faced with what can only be described as something like a tense drama movie?!
Try to keep the news/headline updates to a minimum as too much of this will only add to your anxieties. If listening to music isn’t a distraction to you, have some uplifting songs playing in the background to keep your spirits up.
We must remain strong and remember that the Coronavirus will pass just as quickly as it had arrived.
Thank you for reading my blog. Please do check out my other articles for more information on how you can better organise yourself and your business.
