COVID-19 has changed how the world works. We may never go back to the “normal” we once knew, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. More employers are encouraging, and in some cases requiring, their employees to work from home which makes for a lot of people who are brand new to working remotely. Many schools are also following suit for the safety of their students by instituting remote learning which is also a totally new experience for the majority of those students. In this post we discuss various tips you can implement to help ease your acclimation to the work at home transition.
Create a routine – this is probably the most useful tip as it helps you stay focused and on task. It also helps put you in a productive frame of mind so you’ll be less likely to wander off on a tangent. Treat remote work like you would if you were actually leaving home to work. Get dressed. Have set hours of work and then stick to them.
Schedule and take breaks – another important tip. Employees that work from home often find themselves working constantly throughout the day. People tend to work more hours from home because it’s harder to “leave” work. Your down time is important. Make sure you take your breaks. Give yourself adequate time during the day to walk away from the computer screen and phone. A lunch hour and two 15-minute breaks is the de facto standard, unless your company has a different policy.
Have a dedicated work space – Inform family members or roommates about the hours you are working from home and set ground rules during those hours. Assume that anything that can interrupt you — like a delivery during a critical call or a dog barking in the background of a Zoom meeting — will happen. Be as proactive as you can about avoiding these. You don’t necessarily have to have a full separate office (great if you do!). Dedicate a desk or table in a quiet area, away from the general traffic of the home only for work use.
Stay in contact with your coworkers – Experiencing disconnect and isolation are common issues with remote work life and the risk is moreso for socially active people. Companies with a remote work culture usually offer ways to socialize. It’s important to figure out how much interaction you need to feel connected and included. Here at Geek Easy Computers, we already had an established “chat” culture in place for our techs in the field, that has been greatly utilized during this pandemic. If you’re not at a company with a strong remote culture, you could suggest virtual meetups or chat applications to nurture those relationships.
Be clear on your availability to your team and clients – Tell your team when they can reach you. The more guidance and boundaries you provide, the fewer misunderstandings will occur and the more smoothly work can stay on track. Make sure to clarify expectations for your team. Don’t let people make assumptions about anything that’s unclear — answer those questions.
Promptly return email, calls, and voicemail – Keep in mind that people tend to be more aware of time when working remotely. They may picture you sitting at home at a desk all day and have unrealistic expectations of response time to email, voicemail, etc. If someone is being too aggressive when it comes to replies, have a direct conversation about expectations and timelines.
Hopefully these tips will help make your work from home experience less stressful and more productive! If you have any questions about working from home or need assistance with your technology, feel free to ask us! We want to make your work at home experience easier!
 | Adonis Pointer is a photographer, a collector of vintage razors, and a certified technology geek! Adonis has been involved in computer technology since well, a LONG time! He has been involved in nearly every aspect of the industry from sales to repair to training to consulting. As the Social Media Manager he writes the majority of the posts on the Geek Easy Computers blog. |