8 Tips on how best to Work-from-Home in the time of COVID-19
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, people around the world are facing a new and unprecedented challenge: working from home. Globally, companies are implementing voluntary or compulsory work-from-home (WFH) policies, which might be strange and unsettling to many.
Here are our top eight tips and resources for tackling WFH challenges, ensuring a productive time, while maintaining your mental well-being.
1. Control your environment with a dedicated workspace
The first step in your WFH journey is setting aside a designated work station in your home. The silver lining in working from home is your ability to control your working environment and shape it to what suits your working style best. Instead of constant office chatter, you can play some music or keep the environment silent — whichever you prefer!
Though you want to maximise your comfort, do not get too comfortable, lest you take more naps than necessary. Try to ensure that you have a chair which you can sit in for long hours, good lighting, a desk, and sufficient fluids / snacks to keep you going. It might also be tempting to work from the couch or your bed, but it’s important to bear in mind not to let your work devices creep into your “downtime” zone — it could then make it more difficult to separate work and home life.
For people who typically go to the office to work each day, the separation between work and home is physical, and recreating that separation is important to ensure that the lines between work and home are not blurred.
2. Keep work and home lives separate with clearly defined working hours
Just as you dedicate a space to working and a space for rest, dedicate a time to start work, and when to stop. Working from home allows for a more fluid boundary of time, but you might find yourself tempted to work overtime, damaging your work-life balance. Furthermore, if your work is collaborative and requires constant communication with your co-workers, having a work schedule makes the process a whole lot easier.
This is especially important if you are living with others, as it allows you to disconnect from work and channel your attention to your loved ones.
3. Build transitions into and out of work
Your daily commute to work each day is more than just travelling — some say that it prepares you for work which helps then to ease you into the start of each work day.
Look for things or activities that will help you “switch on” at the beginning of the day and get down to work. These are activities that you typically do on your journey to work, such as listening to music or reading the news.
At the end of the day, leave your workspace, and do something to wind down before your evening routine. This will help you “switch off” fruitfully and fully disengage your mind and body from work.
4. Define the no-no zones with children
Here’s the gist: it’s not going to be easy, but creating a physical barrier can help remind both parent and child of the difference between work time and play time. Some parents keep their work separate, with an object, like behind a closed door in their newly designated area for a home office.
Having clear, distinct markers such as a bright pink post-it stuck on important documents and the like can help keep curious hands away from your physical spreadsheets and equipment.
5. Ensure open communication channels with co-workers with telecommuting tools
This is new for (almost) everyone. You’re likely to face unique challenges as you try to do your job remotely, which can vary depending on the work you do. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your bosses and co-workers that you would usually turn to for help — even though you now work in different locations. Text-based communication is great — leverage your online chat tools such as Slack, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, and even good ol’ emails to get your point across.
“If it’s important, write an email. If it’s urgent, call.”
Video communication tools are gaining popularity recently — Zoom reported a 3X increase in usage in the past month — and there’s a good reason for this. The best way to communicate is in-person, and the next best alternative is to check in with your boss and co-workers over the phone or through video conferencing. This lets you cut down on miscommunication and be as social as you can get whilst working from home.
6. Continue to work in teams with free collaboration tools
There’re tons of free collaboration tools out there to manage workflows, and stay on the same page as your co-workers. The common ones you probably know about: Slack, Google Suite (ie. Google Docs / Sheets / Slides, etc.), and Dropbox. Here’re some popular Software-as-a-Service productivity / project management tools which are free to use:
- Airtable, a cloud collaboration service for spreadsheets
- Calendly, an online appointment scheduling software
- Trello, a Kanban-style list-making desktop application
- And many more… Check this out for a complete list of SaaS tools to tap on!
7. Learn new skills and take regular breaks
With the COVID-19 situation ongoing, it’s easy to see how Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are becoming more popular amongst adults. Here’s a list of all the Ivy League MOOCs that have been freely available to all. Google just released their version of learning new skills as well, with certifications too.
It goes without saying but hey, avoid burnout and manage stress by taking regular breaks. Go for a run, or do up a routine for HIITs or static exercises. Even 15-minute activities such as a short walk in the park, taking out the trash, or even repetitive tasks like doing the laundry can help put your mind at ease (and may even supercharge your brain’s efficiency!).
8. Don’t forget to socialise
In times like this, it’s okay to feel alone once in awhile. There might be a lot of anxiety and uncertainty that resurfaces, and being isolated at home can amplify these feelings. We stumbled upon an AI-chatbot to combat that feeling of isolation, or speak to a professional about any issues you might be facing.
Stay connected with your friends and co-workers even outside of work. Check in with them, and we mean, really check in. You may not be able to have gatherings after work, but all is not lost. You could organise a get-together and talk about the latest TV shows / movies over a Hangouts / Zoom. When the world (and everyone else) is freaking out, it’s more important than ever that we reach out, stay connected with the ones we love, and take care of one another.
We’re here; and we’re indeed #StrongerTogether.
With tons of available resources in the world, sometimes we just need someone to talk to to figure out next steps and how best to cope with the COVID-19 situation. Here at Pitchspot, we are committed to supporting businesses and founders, innovation labs, and the larger community during the toughest of times.
Yet, tough times don’t last, but tough people do. We might not have all the answers but we’re here — and we’re connected. Do not hesitate to reach out to us at hello@pitchspot.co.
