Mapping a proper work-from-home strategy during Covid-19
One of the most recommended measures in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 is social distancing. To adhere to the social distancing measure, many employers have asked most of their workers to work from home. While some may already have the experience to work from home, to others it is so sudden.
Being new to remote working can be challenging, especially in finding a work strategy that can guarantee productivity, more so if you have children, who COVID-19 has forced to be at home as well. If you have been struggling to get a good work-from-home strategy, here are the steps you should take to develop one.
- Create an ideal working space
The first step is to find an ideal space to use as your working station. This would be the area with minimal distractions. A spare room would be great; however, if you do not have that privilege, you can use your bedroom, kitchen or a corner in your living room where there is minimum traffic.
- Have your tools of trade ready
Next is to keep the things you will need for your work at arm’s reach. That would include your laptop, headphones, chargers, pens, papers, files and any other item you may require. Ensure the working space is organized and clean to boost your moods and morale.
- Maintain your regular routine
Working remotely has a number of upsides. For starters, waking up early is not mandatory since you have no traffic to fight in the morning, you can also opt to work in your pajamas without even moving out of your bed. Doing this, however, can kill your motivation and have an adverse effect on your productivity. Ensure that you do not change your regular routine, wake up at your usual time, exercise, shower, get dressed (it doesn’t have to be your work clothes, but get out of your pajamas), have breakfast; whatever your usual routine is, just follow it.
- Mimic a commute
Remember you are used to commuting to your office where you meet people on the way and have some chitchats, and of course, your mind is still hanging on to that. Before stepping to your working area, you can mimic a commute by taking a few minutes’ walk around the block. This exercise will help switch your mind into work mode.
- Ask for help
You may be inclined to work as a loner trying to solve every problem you encounter on your own. This is so because you do not have your co-workers in the next room to run to like in an office setup. Trying to look for solutions on your own can derail more important work that needs to be done. Ensure that you interact with your team members for brainstorming sessions so you can feel as part of the team. If the work is overwhelming, you can always outsource human resources to help you. It may be hard to meet people physically for interviews because of curfews and lockdowns that have been put in place during the COVID-19 epidemic. You, however, can use online employment solutions providers such as International PEO to hire the staff that you need. Using International PEO for hiring staff is a plus for you since you can recruit the best talents from anywhere in the world.
- Take social breaks
Working long hours without a break can affect your health negatively and thus reduce your productivity. You need to take a few breaks in between to stretch and socialize. Besides brainstorming for solutions with your team, take advantage of the video calls for some socializing. You can also use the breaks to play with your kids or quickly catch up with housework. Communicate the time for the breaks well to the people you live with, that way if they need you they can always wait for your break rather than distracting you.
- Close for the day
Avoid the temptation to work beyond your usual work hours. When the usual time you close work at the office clocks, conclude the day’s work and step out of your workspace. This is an important aspect in your work-from-home strategy as it allows you time to focus on your family and other chores that need your attention.
Conclusion
Finding a work-from-home strategy that works well for you may be challenging; take stock each day to see what works for you and what you need to do differently in the coming days. The above points, however, should give you a start in adjusting well to the new normal of working from home.
