Valuable Tips for Effectively Working from Home During a Pandemic and Beyond
The last year has undoubtedly been a challenging one for a lot of us, and in many different ways too. With a record number of people laid off from their jobs and with thousands more placed on furlough, the working world has never looked different.
As we trundle ever closer to some sort of normality, the prospect of transitioning back to office-working, following more than a year of working from home, is sure to be daunting to some people.
With nine out of ten people surveyed stating that they want to continue working from home following the pandemic, there has probably been an increase in the number of people searching for ways to continually and effectively work from the home environment.
Whether you have been working from home throughout the last year and are seeking ways to shake up your working routine or are someone who has just begun working from home following the start of a new job, we are here to help!
Detailed below is a list of valuable tips for effectively working from home during the pandemic and beyond. Read on for some inspiration!
Choosing an Ideal Workspace
For some people, this could be a somewhat easy decision to make. While it does not apply to everyone, there will be some lucky people reading this and beyond who have the luxury of a separate office space or room within their homes.
However, if you do not fit into this category, then this one is for you! The first and most crucial step towards effectively working from home is ensuring that your workspace is suited to the job that you need to do. Particularly if you have a job that entails many video calls and essential conferences, the last thing you want is to be interrupted at the dining table by one of your children at a crucial moment!
Naturally, most people have become accustomed to this happening, purely as a result of most people working from home having to juggle childcare along with their day-to-day jobs. However, there are options available for those looking to change their working environment, including garden offices from Shedstore.
Not only will you have a separate space outside the home for doing your work, but it also gives you a bit of peace and quiet; who doesn’t like that?! Not to mention, if you have any children who are sitting exams, they too might be looking for somewhere quiet to study that isn’t their bedroom, so it could be an ideal option for them as well.
Setting Yourself a Schedule and Sticking to It
It goes without saying but keeping the same schedule that you would have in your workday at the office, and implementing it in the place you are working for the duration of the pandemic, is another way of effectively working.
By attempting to keep things as normal as you can under the circumstances, you are setting yourself up for the best opportunity at getting your work completed to the best possible standards. Allowing yourself time to take regular breaks for exercise and to stay hydrated will further ensure that you are in tip-top condition for working.
While it seems easy to just work through your breaks to get the work done, this is something that is discouraged. Not allowing yourself time to have breaks in the way you would in a physical office is sure to lead you to burnout. Which is not what you want during an already-tumultuous time as it is.
Furthermore, doing what you can to stick to a schedule will minimise the chances of your work-life taking over your home-life. You must maintain a distinguishable boundary between the two to minimise further any chances of you becoming burnt-out.
Working from Home as a Parent
There will undoubtedly be a fair number of people reading this and beyond who have been working from home while juggling childcare responsibilities. Following the recent transition back to school for many children, there may have been some alleviation to the stress that you have been experiencing this far, but this is also worth a mention moving forward.
Naturally, as you would feel anxious about returning to the workplace, some students feel somewhat apprehensive about the return to in-person teaching. Baring that in mind, you may well need to accommodate some extra time in your routine to support your child with their work, as well as their well-being; they may well need some more emotional support than usual at such a disruptive time in their educations.
However, supporting your child with their education could be easier in some respects than it appears. Getting them to sit at the dining table with you to do their homework while you complete some work of your own is sure to benefit them as well as yourselves. Not to mention, you will be working to keep them as on track as they can be following a considerable obstacle in their schooling.
Regarding looking after your child’s well-being at such a challenging time, you must ensure that you are also looking after your own. Which, leads us on to our next helpful tip for working from home effectively.
Looking After Your Well-Being
As mentioned previously, it can be somewhat easy to push through your break to complete your work. While that is very well the case, it is not ideal when wanting to look after your overall well-being.
Stress and anxiety levels have never been higher. With approximately six out of ten adults experiencing struggles with anxiety throughout the pandemic, it is more important than ever to ensure you are doing what you can to protect yourself at a time like no other.
Allowing yourself moments to quietly reflect on your day through meditation and breathing exercises, or whether you set aside a specific time of day to do some yoga, the choice is entirely yours. By doing a small well-being activity once a day, you are drastically contributing to your overall well-being.
Tying in with our previous point about supporting any children you may have at this time, encouraging them to join you in your activity is not only going to be setting an example but will be giving your child the necessary tools to handle any obstacles and emotions that they might face moving forward.
Moving Forward
As we edge ever closer to a sense of normality, emotions will most probably still be relatively high. A lot of people who have been surveyed to some degree have already expressed a worry about emerging from lockdown, and this is entirely understandable.
However, with that in mind, considering what you want from your employer moving forward will also contribute towards your effectiveness and productivity when working. The last thing that you want and that your employer wants is for you to be distracted and made uncomfortable by the idea of heading back to the office.
If you find that you want to continue working from home following the pandemic and lockdown, then it is probably worth having a conversation about flexible working options. Putting yourself out there and having the conversation with your employer sooner rather than later can offer you some clarity on the situation and enable you to prepare yourself as best as possible for either eventuality.
We hope that you have enjoyed this piece and found it helpful and insightful. Whether you try to implement just one of the suggestions or opt to try a couple in tandem with one another, we will hope that they make a difference to how you work from home, both during the pandemic and beyond.
