New to Working from Home? Start Here

The Coronavirus pandemic is doing more than just shaking up travel plans, it’s effectively closed down businesses and brought daily life to a halt in many places around the world. That means a lot of employees will now be working from home (with many more looking for new jobs). Job transitions can already be difficult enough as it is, and when you add the element of a new environment and a new routine, it can be overwhelming. So we’re here to help you make the move from working in an office to working from home as there are going to be some major changes to your day to day life. 

Established freelancers and teleworkers have an advantage in this new Corona world because they’ve carved their careers from tiny spaces in their living rooms , coffee shops and closets into effective work spaces. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn those skills too! Here’s how you can keep from falling behind while working from home:

Time Management is Your Best Friend

When you work from home you have the advantage of taking breaks and moving around freely. It’s great…until you realize that you’ve spent more time checking your phone and taking trips to the fridge than you have completing any work. Time management is a remote worker’s best friend. Schedule your work hours and use time management techniques, like the Pomodoro technique, to schedule work sprints. And make sure you have firm start and stop times so you don’t feel like you’re being overworked or taken advantage of by an employer or client.

Create a Routine

Now that you’ll be spending most, if not all, of your days at home, it’s more important than ever to create a routine. Not only for the sake of your job responsibilities, but for your emotional and mental wellness. Wake up at a certain time, exercise at the same time each day, carve out a dedicated lunch hour. If you’re sharing your home with family or friends, let them know that you’ll be unavailable and working exclusively during certain times (unless in case of emergency) and encourage them to also schedule their own studies, chores or work during those hours too.

Maintain Healthy Habits

It’ easy to fall into the habit of sitting at the couch all day while in the comfort of your home, but don’t! Make sure you’re taking breaks from your work - walk around a bit, do a workout video, or maybe try the CoronaX10Challenge to keep you on your toes! Also be mindful of what you eat - drink plenty of water and try to avoid heavy foods that will make you sleepy if you know you have a big task ahead of you.

Use Social Media To Stay Accountable

The temptation to stay off social media is high during these stressful times, but as we all find ourselves social distancing, social media might just be the thing that keeps us sane. When it comes to working remotely, using Facebook groups, Twitter chats and other social media tools can actually help keep you focused. Some groups provide support by offering dedicated online co-working sessions where you can join via a video chat platform or slack channel and check in with one another to ensure you stay on track. If you don’t already have access to something like this, start your own with your friends or colleagues to keep yourselves on track - consider using Zoom or Google hangouts to schedule multiple people at once.

develop new skills and hobbies

Maybe you’ve found yourself with lots of free time on your hands, or perhaps you’ve been wondering about following a different career path or learning something you never had the time to do before - as long as your time management is on point, working from home gives you the perfect canvas for developing a new skill (or a hobby since it’s healthy to also maintain non-professional pursuits). Carve out some time in your day to watch tutorials, read articles and take advantage of free courses.