Top 10 tips to keep motivated while working from home; staying productive in a time of social distancing.
By Zoe Schulz, myGwork
Just a few days ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced the coronavirus outbreak has become a pandemic. Alongside this, their Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, commented, "We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. And we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled at the same time." This means that although we have seen harrowing results in some countries, if those that it has not yet largely affected act accordingly, they can considerably reduce the impact of the virus. One of the main pillars of this approach is social distancing. This is a public health practice that aims to prevent the spread of a virus, by reducing opportunities for disease transmission. This involves cutting back on social interactions that are not essential, especially large crowds and gatherings, which could include the workplace.
Although the UK government is yet to enforce a policy of social distancing, the WHO are appealing to communities across the globe to use this method. Many organisations are taking precautions by asking employees to work from home. So much so, that while many businesses are feeling the financial burden of the virus, stock in technology companies that aid remote working is sky rocketing. It has even been reported that many organisations are using this as a ‘practice run’ for the moment when remote working replaces face-to-face work. It has even been suggested that many companies will take this as an opportunity to make this move permanent, whether that occurs or not, it may well reveal which meetings could have been done via email after all.
Although working from home comes with many benefits, a new and somewhat surprising one being that it could quite literally help slow the spread of a highly infectious virus, it’s still important to make sure we remain motivated and focussed once home. Here’s a few tips from us, on how to do so.
1. Create a regular routine
Going into the office everyday naturally creates a schedule to work to. Without this, it may be easy to slip into an impromptu make-it-up-each day habit. For some, this can be a cause of disorganisation and chaos – stay on top of this by putting in place a schedule and keeping to it.
2. Take advantage of the tools at your disposal!
We live in an age where there are many apps, programs and tools that we can use to keep in touch and stay on top of our work. Many of these are designed specifically to support teams who work remotely, don’t be shy to try them out and find the ones that suit your team the best.
These include: Slack, Zoom, Trello, Dropbox, Focus Booster, Calendly, Asana, Azendoo and more!
3. Plan regular breaks
It’s easy to think when you have a lot on your plate that you should work through breaks and without colleagues to remind you take space from your computer, this can occur too easily. However, there is a lot of scientific evidence that shows you are more productive when you have regular breaks. If you find you forget to take them when working alone, plan them and stick to them!
4. Dedicate a space in your home to working
Although it is tempting to answer emails from bed or lying on the couch, this is not a useful habit in the long-term. Help yourself get into ‘work-mode’ by creating a space designated to tackling the workday. This will also help you to separate your work life from your personal life – which is vital to successfully working remotely!
5. Plan your workday
You may find that the home offers distractions and temptations that aren’t necessarily present in the office. Combat this by planning what you need to get done each day, this will be a useful tool in keeping on top of your workload.
6. Practice self-care
When planning you work from home routine, make sure you haven’t forgotten to carve out a moment in the day that’s for you. Whether it’s an exercise routine in the morning, or 10 minutes of mediation, this time in the day is important, plus it will increase your concentration and focus.
7. Work when you’re most productive
Working from home often means your day can be a bit more flexible. Take advantage of the fact that you don’t have to spend the mornings and evening commuting and utilise your time well. If you are someone that concentrates best first thing in the morning, plan to tackle your harder tasks then. Capitalise on your most productive periods and leave easier tasks for when you know your concentration tends to fade.
8. Stay off social media
Easier said than done, social media can be the demise to a productive day. Limiting the amount of time you spend on these platforms, is a sure way to not get side tracked in the middle of something important.
9. Get dressed for work
While working from home it may be all too tempting to stay in your pyjamas all day but making sure you get up showered and ready will put you in the right headspace to tackle the tasks ahead of you. While you can keep it a bit more casual than the office, getting ready for the day is still important, so try not to let this slip!
10. Pick a definitive end time to your workday
Working from home often makes it hard to set boundaries between your workday and leisure. Try to be strict with yourself on this, to make sure you’re keeping yourself balanced.
