If you have been told to work from home during the lockdown caused by the novel coronavirus, you may have thanked your lucky stars. No more commute, no more office politics, and no more having to see your overbearing boss day in, day out. However, working from home has its pitfalls. Now, you are having to prove your productivity levels more, conduct more virtual calls that you could have ever imagined, and resist the temptation to procrastinate. Working from home may sound great, but you end up missing the office banter, your work friends, and even the cheeky donuts on a Friday. Take a look at how you can make your work from home experience more bearable.
Procrastination
It’s all too easy to scroll through Facebook for hours at a time, cook yourself a ridiculously extravagant lunch, or have a three hour lunch break every day. You cannot resist the urge to wake up late, stay in your pajamas, and sit on the sofa with your laptop while watching the latest box set on Netflix. This makes for poor productivity and a lack of focus. Instead, you need to set up an office space away from the temptations of home life. A study or cordoned off area downstairs is ideal. Get up at your normal time with an alarm, have a shower, and wear smart casual clothes. You need to foster a routine similar to your usual nine to five to ensure that you don’t slack.
When we are forced to work from home because of a lockdown situation, we may find that the house isn’t empty or quiet. The kids may not be at school, your partner may also be trying to work from home, and chaos may ensue. This can play havoc with our workday. You need to strike a work-life balance that will help you to switch off from the living room mania. This is why a home office is crucial.
Virtual Environments
Being online is crucial for every business in the twenty-first century. When you call in the marketing agency to enhance your B2B campaigns or to analyze your website data, you expect a comprehensive digital marketing plan to be followed. Now that more of us are working from home, we are also embracing the digital world to a greater extent. We no longer have to rely on emails and our smartphones to communicate. Zoom meetings, Teams, and Skype have made it possible to conduct full-on meetings with clients and colleagues. We can see the body language cues, see people in high definition, and not have to put up with buffering. If you have a decent WiFi connection and your boss still wants to carry out the usual Monday morning briefing, they can do. You can still communicate with your team. You may even have a virtual ‘drinks after work’ meet on a Friday to boost morale and foster positivity.
Working from home may sound like bliss. In reality, isolation and procrastination can set in. Stay connected, set a routine, and stay focused on the job at hand. With any luck, your WFH can become LOLZ.
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