We are working from home now more than we ever have, and if you're not accustomed to working remotely, you may find it particularly hard to switch from being in an office environment to being at home to work. The pandemic has shifted the way that we work on a mass scale, and more people than ever are trying to do what they can to prevent the line between working and being at home from blurring. It's not easy to keep a good balance, but you must if you want to make your working from home journey a simple one.
You do not have to find working from home so hard, either. In fact, you can ensure that you become a total pro from working from home, with a productive home office and a way to feel motivated because of it. Below, we've put together a range of clever tips to help you to become reconciled with working from home, especially as we have no idea how long this will continue! Let's take a look!
The right technology. No one can work from home without technology these days: it's just not going to work. Technology gives us the chance to work from home in the first place, and you can ensure that you do it better with more than just a mouse and keyboard. You need to have the right equipment to be able to collaborate with coworkers and discuss your work with your manager. Your employer should provide you with the right technology to enable your working from home to be comfortable and productive, and there is software that you can use, too. You need the right applications, the right communication devices and the right programs will help you to keep your technology in order for your work to be successful. Ironing out your software will help you to do this.
The right bandwidth. You can have all the technology in the world, but if you don't have the right internet bandwidth, there's no point! Internet access is something all remote workers need to be successful and if you plan to use online video chat and the right software for collaboration, you need to have a good connection. Speak to your internet provider and see whether they can help you to boost your connection and you can also ensure that the children are not online at the same time as you. Streaming services can pull down the amount of spare bandwidth you have, and you need all the bandwidth you can get to work from home. This isnt always possible when you work all day so set some ground rules, instead. Make it so that during busy times, no one else is streaming online and you can ensure that you have enough time to get your work done.
Balance the children. Being a parent in a pandemic is hard enough, but being a working parent who is expected to work full time while the kids are running around at home is hard! Speak to your employer and make a plan to work your hours around the children and their entertainment, as otherwise you will deal with your work being interrupted constantly. Make it so that you have good provisions for childcare, even if that means embracing a little more screen time during phone calls and meetings. Work with friends to have playdates that surround your children. Shared childcare this way won't cost you anything, and it will give your friend the chance to work when they need it, too.
Be patient. If you want to be comfortable and find balance when working from home, then you need to manage your expectations. You cannot expect silence if you're working from home with children, and you need to speak to your manager to know what your priorities should be so that you can meet them properly. If you don't communicate your situation to your manager, you are going to find it far harder to ensure that you are able to get things done on time. If there are meetings you cannot attend, you need to make sure that you have someone there for you who can talk you through it afterwards. You need to make sure that this conversation is ongoing, too, so that you can keep on top of the workload and remain feeling happy and balanced.
Know your weaknesses. As an employee, you need to work hard. However, you are also a human being who is balancing an unprecedented workload! You need to give yourself a break while knowing what you need for the right amount of support. You need to avoid distractions, yes, but you also need to know what those distractions are. Whatever your weakness may be, work with your employer to ensure that they are able to support you right now. There are plenty of benefits to remotely working, but you need to do it comfortably!
Embrace video chats. Your webcam is going to help you to remain close to your colleagues and employers. You will be able to talk through the day and engage in conversation as you need to, and it's going to be the tool that you need to feel as if you are close to people rather than isolated and apart. The webcam is going to help you to stay connected and communicative. You can ensure that you are hearing the right inflection in tone from others, so that nothing can be misconstrued!
Remain connected. It's very easy to be isolated as an employee when you are working from home. It's one of the biggest losses of the office environment. Take the time to chat with and contact your coworkers and reach out when you are struggling. You won't regret it - it'll keep you sane while you work and live in the same place.
Working from home is never easy. Take these tips and make sure that you are prepared for the challenge and you are ready to face any issues that occur as a result.
... And Don’t Forget to Stay Green!
While we’re working from home, we help reduce the environmental effect of our commutes and the use of office lighting, but green adjustments to our daily routines don't have to end there.
You can take a step further and explore what more you can do to minimize your carbon footprint at home further since you're already helping our planet by staying put.
You have many options to chose from. SImple daily tasks such as taking paperless notes or lowering your AC/thermostat levels can be done with little to no effort.
Making even bigger contributions, such as using energy from solar panels, is another great way to reduce energy consumption but requires a bit more effort. This can certainly benefit you, the community, our planet and save you money in the end as well!
Start with a simple google search of “solar installer near me” or other similar keywords, and you can go from there.
Big changes start with small but determined steps. So why not do your part in keeping the world a greener place for generations to come?