With Ontario amid a second lockdown during the global pandemic, companies across the province and the country have instituted mandatory work-from-home policies. As a result, 2020 saw many of us trading our business casual attire for athleisure-wear, our transit passes for an extra 30 minutes of sleep in the morning and our usual water-cooler chat for video calls.
Working from home (WFH) has its perks, but ultimately can feel isolating and difficult to separate work and home life. If you’re feeling less productive while working from home or just need some help maintaining your mental health, check out our 5 tips to help you succeed as you continue to #staysafe and work from home:
- Get Ready for Your Work Day
It might seem simple, but this is vital. Though tempting to stay in your pajamas all day, you will find it slower to get your day started and ultimately, you will be less productive. You don’t have to suit-up, but creating a morning routine will clear your head and prepare you for what’s to come. It also creates necessary mental distance between “home time” and “work time” (the role your morning commute used to play).
- Create Your Workspace
Got a spare room? Easy home office. But not everyone has a spare room they can easily flip into a personal workspace. As well, you need a specific space that provides the mental signal it’s time to work. Whether it’s a desk in a bedroom, a particular chair used only for work, or a cordoned off area of the kitchen table, creating a productive and comfortable place to work is key.
- Create a Schedule and Routine You Can Stick To
It is way too easy to wake up, roll over and grab your laptop and start answering emails from the comfort of your sheets, getting stuck there for hours and launching into a hectic spiral (not to mention, it’s much too easy to fall prey to naps while sitting in bed). The remedy to this: create a schedule and include work time, meals, exercise, and very important mental health breaks. This allows you to better organize your day and feel more productive (which in turn will make you be more productive).
- Stand Up and Move Around
When you are working full time from home, sitting in front of a screen all day can be mentally exasperating. Keeping your attention in one place for too long can be boring and is not sustainable. It’s also physically unhealthy to be sedentary for too long. The answer here is easy: stand up, walk away from your computer and focus on something else for five minutes. Walk around your living space, take a trip to the fridge for a glass of water (staying hydrated is another extremely important tip!) or take a quick break and get some fresh air outside. Do this every half hour to an hour and you’ll be feeling better and creating a balanced WFH lifestyle that is better for you in the long run.
- Communicate with Your Team
The key to successfully working from home, especially when you’re not used to it, is communication—especially with your manager. Devise a plan that lays out expectations for how often you should check in and how you’ll convey any changes or new assignments to one another, the same goes for your coworkers/team.
Are you working from home? Do you employ these tips to make your day a little easier (and efficient)? Do you use other methods to stay sane while working from home? Let us know on social – Facebook and Instagram.
And remember: working from home doesn’t have to be challenging. It can be easy and at times, relaxing if done well.