Coronavirus outbreak has become a worldwide pandemic and many smaller and bigger companies were forced to limit their usual activities. Those people who can work from their homes were asked to do so and such global companies as Google, Microsoft, Apple or Amazon decided to roll out mandatory work-from-home policies. Here at CloudAccess.net we have over 10 years of experience in remote work so we decided to share some important tips on how to effectively work from home!
Create your workspace
Not everybody has their own home office thus creating a well-equipped work space is crucial while working from home. Start with preparing a space for you laptop. Try to sit in an upright chair: if you have a comfortable chair in a dining or kitchen area, work there. Remember also about preparing all necessary work accessories such as phone, wireless keyboard and a mouse, pen, notepad. Try to avoid any distractions such as TV or social media notifications but if you don't like to work in silence just simply turn on your favorite music.
Don't sit the entire time
Sitting all day is a bad idea. Recent research from Loughborough University and the University of Leicester, UK, showed that giving height-adjustable workstations to staff resulted in employees feeling more productive. If you don't have a standing desk, make sure to stand up and stretch once in every hour. During lunch time try to go outside to your garden, patio or balcony. If you live in an apartment without any of these things, open your windows for 15 minutes to get some fresh air into your room and your lungs. Also, remember about natural daylight because working all day in artificial light can lead to headaches, eyestrain and blurred vision.
Use online solutions
Whether it's something as simple as email or complex as project management system – try to utilize as many online tools as you can. Need to share your desktop access with your co-worker? TeamViewer is available for all major operating systems and it's free for personal use. Need to talk in real time with your colleague? There's a bunch of options on the market including Slack, Skype or Microsoft Teams. If you're planning to have a big video team meeting Zoom would be a way to go. You can also try web-based solution as Join.me. In this day and age there's pretty much an app for everything.
Stick to you routine and treat yo' self!
Keeping your daily schedule while working from home is really important. Wake up at your normal time, get a shower and dress in your usual office clothes. It will help you mentally prepare for the workday. Next step is motivation. Motivating yourself into effective working from home can be tricky. What to do when a new episode of your favorite TV show is waiting but you have to do some important, yet boring, tasks? Treat your TV show as a reward after a good day of work. At the beginning of your day, plan what do you need to do and after completion of the list, simply treat yo' self! With a TV show, a good coffee or tea, a cookie, or something else which makes you happy. Remember: first work, then fun!
Keep calm and work from home
We are living in difficult and stressful times. Negative comments, conspiracy theories, panic among people… It can be really hard to stay positive. In order not to feel too isolated, keep in touch with your friends as often as you can and it also includes face-to-face online interactions with coworkers. You are an avid gamer? Try to play online with people around the world. Join Facebook groups, forums or Discord channels. Stay positive, stay healthy!