If you’re a new to telecommuting, welcome!
I know many people were recently put in this position due to the novel coronavirus. The threat of the COVID-19 is very serious, but don’t panic. Take all necessary precautions and refer to the CDC website.
If the prospect of working from home scares you, don’t fret. It’s more common today than ever. Need someone to help demystify this? I’m your girl and am here to help out!
There is a lot of alarmism across digital media associated with working from home. That needs to stop. Here are three ways to make your remote working experience from home an enjoyable—and productive— one.
#1— Carve Out Work Space to Root Out Distractions
Working from home can be a productive experience, even with all the supposed distractions around you.
In my experience, I’ve actually found myself achieving a consistent and constant state of flow while hitting more client benchmarks than I ever did at my 9-to-5 job.
When I started working from home in summer 2016, I used the office in my home—and an old kitchen table—as my workspace. It’s an open area but separate space from my living room and kitchen. It allows me to work on my computer, organize equipment/gear, sort through documents, and have resources I need to complete tasks. My chair could be better, but the workspace is reliable and my “sanctuary” for professional matters. And it serves as a perfect backdrop to play Spotify playlists or catch up on podcasts while working.
If you have a space to recreate your work space at home, do it and go with what’s comfortable for you. Once you do that, you can work on maintaining contact with your company or clients with great ease.
#2— Maintain Your Regular Communication Channels
When working out of your home or residence, it’s feasible to maintain established communication channels with your company, clients, or business partners.
Since social distancing is being encouraged to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, maintaining contact with people is just a quick call or video chat away. Sometimes we forget this and underestimate how lucky we are in this digital age. Ha!
If you’re an employee and have company equipment in the form of a laptop or program you can install on your computer, you can track work hours and be accountable to your superiors or clients. Email, chat portals, and yes, even social media platforms, keep communications alive today. They are a good source to stay up-to-date and informed about work situations and day-to-day operations.
I’ve used different methods of communication to be responsive to my clients. It saves everyone the trouble of having to travel to meet, helps offset dining expenses, and facilitates team bonding too.
Communication from home can be clear and well-maintained. Your bosses can make sure you’re well and know you’re being productive. Have fun with it too!
#3—Remember to Take Breaks
Another recommendation I have is to take some breaks, whether in the form of eating meals away from your workspace, working out/ indoors, or setting time for breaks.
One thing that can happen if you don’t maintain a work-life balance working remotely is you can go stir crazy and get burnout. Working endlessly with no breaks isn’t healthy and leads to disorganization and chaos. I’ve understood the importance of separating my work and SmartPhone from meals and exercise time. It’s healthier to eat away from your work station or step aside from it to take a break. 30 minutes to an hour break installments are sufficient to pause, to enjoy a meal or sip on coffee, to step outside or to get that recharge you need.
Don’t exhaust yourself while telecommuting. Your employers and clients will be more charitable and flexible given the circumstances today. Don’t stress!
Parting Thoughts: Remote Work is the New Normal
Believe it or not, there are many inherent benefits to remote work. It’s no wonder why more people are doing it today, in spite of the coronavirus.
There’s no commuting involved—hello lower carbon footprint! No hassle in having to keep up with appearances. You can set your work hours (if you’re not bound by a company rules, per se). You can work out and eat healthier—and save money doing so for both options. Simply put, I believe the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
More companies are allowing their contractors or employees to choose this option—increasingly seen as a boon for the private sector. That’s why there’s a burgeoning freelancer/gig worker economy right now.
In the event you’ll work from home these next few weeks, I hope these three suggestions can help you adjust and adapt. Remote work can be enjoyable, productive, and easy to ease into. Take my word for it!
Good luck!