Her guide to working from home

Words by Claudia Trotter | Image Credit Pinterest

With everything being disrupted from work, travel and sport, over 19.8 million people around the globe have been infected and this figure is rapidly rising. For many, they have been told to work from home which is proving to be not as luxurious as it sounds. However, with all the negativity happening in the world- on the news, in the hospitals and even in our local supermarkets, we should be trying to recognise the positives in this situation that could potentially be a long-term strategy in preventing the spread of Coronavirus.

After the World Health Organization’s announcement of a global pandemic status, major tech companies such as Google, Microsoft and Spotify have asked employees to work from home. For those who aren’t  used to it,  it can be a real shock. Below we share our tips for how you  can productivley do your job from home.

Step 1 Wake up at the same time as you would on a normal work morning. Shower and get dressed out of your pyjamas and eat a nutritious breakfast- we recommend foods low in glycaemic carbs such as fruit, veggies or grains.

Step 2 Create a list of to-do tasks for the day using a planner to track deadlines and appointments. Schedule times for non-work tasks such as meals and breaks and anything additional you may do while at work. You need to be realistic and accept you will not be working non-stop from 9-5. Also create bookends for your day, such as beginning at 8:30am with a morning coffee and finishing at 5pm with an evening walk.

Step 3 Set up a comfortable and practical workspace. Choose a room in your house where you won’t be distracted and one that can accommodate for your workplace needs. For example, somewhere you can plug in your computer, with a good WIFI connection and with limited external noise. Make sure those you are living with understand what it means when you are working by creating boundaries and closing doors.

Step 4  Ensure you are communicating with your colleagues the same amount, if not more than you would in your normal work environment. There needs to be as much face-to-face interaction online as possible using tools like chat app Slack, Zoom and Teams for video conferencing.

Managers need to be checking in with their colleagues and still enforcing social activities such as work drinks over Skype and general ‘water cooler’ talk.

In a survey in 2019 by FlexJobs, 65% said they are more productive working from home because of less interruptions from colleagues and reduced stress from things like commuting. We need to take advantage of this situation and understand the opportunities in being allowed to create our own workspaces, being more environmentally friendly from the lack of travel and giving employees more flexibility.

In this stressful time of uncertainty, it is paramount we are caring for both those around us and ourselves. Reward yourself throughout the day with nourishing food, go for a run or a swim, listen to a podcast or call a friend. Let’s not get pushed down by this pandemic and instead seize the positives and be open to change.  Read more of our  tips on working from home here.

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