4 Tips to Make Working From Home More Effective and Panic-Free
We have to work from home right now because of the world wild virus — COVID-19. And although working from home has been a work method worth addressing seriously sooner, nowadays, it’s simply impossible to avoid, and one of our main priorities is focusing on it and taking it more seriously.
At first glance, WFH seems rather easy and even more comfortable than working in an office. It’s without a doubt, a better option to work from your bedroom, covered in your warm snuggly blanket while caressing your dog and sipping hot coffee from your favorite mug. While this image seems rather close to reality, it can be much far from it and, sometimes, deceiving.
In this article, I’ll be addressing why this is so, and also suggesting a few tips and tricks to make the experience a more enjoyable and relaxed one.
TIP #1 COMMUNICATE
I’ll start off strong with this one. As all workers know- communication is a crucial part of almost everyone’s job and since we’re closer to our families and moderately far from our colleagues, communication has become even more difficult or so it seems.
In reality, matters have become considerably easier nowadays, with online communication tools, such as Slack, Zoom, etc., since we can connect with several people at the same time and work even more efficiently.
A key pointer is almost- immediate responses: In the office, you might’ve responded a few minutes later for a variety of reasons- you were busy with something else or you were talking on the phone or you were having a break.
At home, quick responses to any work concerning text messages are mandatory. Why? this might sound trivial but they really can’t see you. If you don’t respond quickly enough, your colleague can get the feeling that you are ignoring them or are not going to respond; this feeling can get paired with the belief that you’re maybe not even working, to begin with.
TIP #2 BE ATTENTIVE
You probably either rolled your eyes at this subheading or started reading more eagerly. So you’re either a beginner or someone who is familiar with the concept of WFH.
At first glance, you might not even consider this an issue, but I’m here to remind you that in this case, you are weaker than you think. For I bet your comfy environment will distract you rather than be of any assistance to working productively.
You’re likely to deny it at first but sooner or later you’ll come to terms with it and seek ways to remain concentrated and that’s what I’m here for.
For starters- even though you have flexible hours, try to keep to your day-to-day work schedule as much as possible. E.g. if you usually listen to hard rock with headphones whilst working and if you usually go out for a stroll during your break, continue doing so.
Even though staying outside for long isn’t permitted, grocery shopping for half an hour a day to both clear your mind and breathe some air is not yet a crime. As I’m on the subject of being healthy, try to exercise more while you’re at home. This will not only energize you and keep you sharp but also boost your mood, since staying home almost all day isn’t the greatest thing to do normally. Most importantly, remind yourself that you’re in control of your day and keep the distractions to a minimum.
TIP#3 USE THE TECH
Fortunately for us, there is a large variety of technological equipment available and ready to ensure connectivity between you and your colleagues/clients. This means every single step you were using in your daily routine, with the help of technology can be imitated in a WFH scenario.
There are a variety of cloud-based tools for collaboration — project and task management, video calls, white-boarding, employee tracking, etc. These tools ensure not only high productivity in your work but will also add a pinch of fun and freshness.
Company infrastructure and management departments have a crucial role in setting up platforms that are must-have for establishing collaborative and safe remote work culture.
TIP #4 STAY POSITIVE
Thus far I’ve noted tips that are useful for whenever you need to WFH but this one is aimed at those of you, myself included, who are working from home because of the virus outbreak.
Remaining positive is a must, worrying less, being a tad bit nicer and caring will go a long way and help you stay productive during work hours. Video calls shouldn’t start with just an empty “Hello, how do you do?” but with a warm, welcoming smile followed by a sincere question concerning your colleague’s health and wellbeing. A bit of chit-chat before getting straight to work in this scenario is fine.
At the end of the day, we are human and we need each other to get through worrisome times.
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