A ROOM WITH A POINT OF VIEW
ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR WORKING FROM HOME
Imagre credit: NEWS CANADA.
From NEWS CANADA
Remote work was on the rise even before COVID-19 forced large numbers to work from home.
Whether you own a small business or work for a large company, chances are you work from home at least part of the time. Statistics Canada data shows nearly two million of us were working remotely at least once a week, and that number is growing as we learn more about the benefits of telecommuting.
Though working in an informal setting comes with unexpected challenges, you can stop them from coming between you and your best work-self with these simple tips:
Keep to a schedule. Try to keep your work day routine to the schedule it’s used to – wake up at your regular time and keep to your morning rituals, starting work when you’d normally head out the door. Don’t forget to give yourself breaks you’d give yourself at the office. The less your body realizes you’re still home, the more comfortable and productive you’ll be.
Keep up the dress code. You associate the clothes you wear at home with being at ease and relaxed. By fusing your work and leisure clothes, you’ll be robbing your work-self of productivity and your home-self of relaxation. Don’t go all-out, but wear something you could get away with at the office. This will help you gain a professional mindset and set you up for a successful day.
Keep your strength up. Working from home can be surprisingly strength-sapping. Make sure you get up and walk around – take the same effort to move around at least once an hour, which you should be doing at the office anyway. It’s also important to eat well. Your kitchen is right there, so use your lunch break to try cooking something fast and fun before settling back down.
Keep the conversation going. Even if you’re an introvert, going into the office provides some much-needed social interaction. At home, you may be shielded from its distracting aspects, but you’re also cut off from that support network. Make a point of having at least one phone call or Zoom meeting with a coworker every day. Avoid typed conversations, they offer less of a hard break from your work, and the two bleed together too easily.
Keep the tunes coming. At home, the silence can potentially be just as focus-breaking as a coworker wandering up to you to discuss the latest internet meme. Don’t let the quiet take over – just fire up SiriusXM. You won’t have to slog through ads, just hit play on your computer or phone or seamlessly transition to your smart speakers if you’re a more mobile worker.
There is often the misconception that working from home is not as serious or demanding as in-person labour, but Dr. Lori LaCivita, director of Walden University’s industrial and organizational psychology graduate program, says this is a mistake. “It’s actually a lot harder to work remotely – it takes more effort to be effective in this environment. You need to prioritize, triage, and structure your day to be productive.”
These are her tips for working from home:
Be the captain of your own ship. You need to work independently and think through things on your own, as you may not have access to someone who can provide immediate, real-time guidance. Attending an online university is a great way to prepare for and land a virtual position, because online classes can help you develop the self-direction skills needed for success.
Become friends with technology. To be a successful virtual employee, you need to have a good understanding of technology and how to use it properly – if you can’t be comfortable with technology, you can’t work remotely. Always have a backup plan if technology fails: get a landline and save work in multiple locations. Identify local coffee shops (when they reopen) where you can connect online should the power ever go out, or get a mobile hotspot solution like a good cell phone data plan or a mifi connection.
Now more than ever, it’s important for people to have access to effective tools and tactics for alleviating stress. Manage anxiety with these simple tips:
Stay connected to what you love. A change in routine can be stressful for anyone, but don’t forget to keep in touch with your favourite people and things. Make use of virtual hangouts and try a group chat or video game. Love nature? You can still enjoy long, solitary walks in the woods or by a nearby lake or pond. Or try bringing the outdoors in with some new plants and greenery.
Keep those hands busy. It’s all too easy for your time to be spent hanging around with nothing to do at home, but it doesn’t have to be. This is your time, so use it to enjoy yourself. Read a book, play a game, do a puzzle, whatever keeps your hands busy and mind bright. You’ve also got some extra time built in without a long commute, so take advantage of it.
Start listening at sirusxm.ca. More tips on working from home for employees and managers at www.waldenu.edu/virtualteam.