More and more companies have implemented a work-from-home policy in recent months, forcing people to bring their work home with them. As we all get used to working from home — either alone or with a house full of people — many of us are finding it difficult to stay focused. Here are five tips to help you navigate the working-from-home landscape with success.
Create a Workspace
Creating a designated workspace can ensure that you get as much work done during business hours as possible. Although the couch or the bed might seem more comfortable, resist the urge to work where you play. Instead, clear a space at the kitchen table or work from your desk if you have one. If not, consider getting a portable home office laptop desk and work from there. Or if you have the budget for it, spring for a decent-sized desk if you have space for it. Whatever you decide to get, make sure you're consistent about where you work.
Keep Up With Your Work Buddies
Don't let the sudden change in working conditions allow you to lose touch with your work friends, especially if you actually had a social life at work. It can be nice to talk to someone who knows what you're going through. Even if it's just to rant about the struggles of work-at-home life, keeping in touch can help ease the struggles you might be experiencing. There are tons of ways to keep in touch, such as through text, social media, FaceTime or workplace communication tools like Zoom.
Secure Your Assets
Protecting your assets with a Wi-Fi security camera is essential for those doing business or working from home with company equipment or merchandise. If you're one of those people, it's important that you ensure your company's equipment or merchandise is safe. Some of the best security camera systems offer features like:
- Infrared night vision
- Motion recording
- Two-way talk
- 1080p HD resolution
- Push notifications
- Access to your footage using simple voice commands
- Compatibility with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
- Privacy mode
With high-quality cameras from a top company, you'll also be able to view live or recorded video from your smartphone, tablet or Apple TV. With features like this, you'll be able to protect your work assets in the event that something happens.
Learn How to Deal With Distractions
Making the transition from working in an office to working from home can be pretty challenging, especially if you have children. But learning to deal with distractions is essential if you want to remain productive. Try to get your kids on a schedule and keep them distracted while you're working. Ask your partner to help you with this by keeping them entertained with activities throughout the day. You'll also have to deal with your own distractions like the internet, games and social media. Give yourself a few minutes to be distracted so it doesn't nag at you the entire day, which brings us to the
next tip.
Take Breaks
Taking frequent breaks throughout the day can help you avoid that nagging feeling. Get outside as much as you can to avoid cabin fever so you feel refreshed and energized when it's time to get back to work. Take a walk around the block or take the kids out to ride their bikes. Or simply take a break and talk to your family or friends, play a game or do whatever it is that makes you happy and relaxed. But be sure not to get too carried away. Set a time to get yourself back to work so that you don't waste too much time on breaks. Fifteen to 20 minutes should be enough for shorter breaks and 30 to 40 minutes should be sufficient for lunchtime.
Adjusting to Work-From-Home Life
Remember not to be too hard on yourself. We're all going through the same thing and it may not necessarily be the norm for you to work at home. Give yourself time to adjust and take the necessary measures you need to so that you can be successful in bringing your business home with you.
