On March 11th, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially announced the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic, prompting global panic, mass quarantines, and various social distancing measures.
To help contain the outbreak, government agencies, schools, and companies around the world have implemented work-from-home policies for their employees. Now, businesses carry out most of their tasks through emails and other online platforms. Meetings are held via video conferencing tools, and schools are conducting lessons via webinars and podcasts. Although remote working is not a new concept, it can still be a challenge for many. We cannot deny that this is becoming the new normal and may continue to be even after the crisis is over. Companies must embrace digitalization, and employees should know how to work productively at home.
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Tips to help improve working remotely
- Create a designated workspace
When working from home, it is nice to have a designated workspace that is suited to your style and convenience. This can be a small office in the basement or even a corner in your room. The location does not matter as much as the ambiance and comfortability.
Don’t sit on the sofa with your laptop and expect to get any work done. Establishing a workspace lets your brain know that it’s time for work. When you set up your home office, make sure you pick a spot where your colleagues and clients are less likely to hear your dog barking or your cat running all over the place.
When working remotely, video conferences are inevitable. Skyping or Zooming creates a more intimate setup and helps you feel more connected. Make sure to keep this in mind and designate a space with a professional background.
- Avoid distractions
Treat remote working as a day in the office with a fixed and regular work-time. That means no binge-watching TV shows, no laundry, and no kids disturbing. Leave them for your lunch break or until the end of the day. It is highly likely that those who treat working from home as a vacation will hand in low quality work. Avoid distractions at all costs.
- Take breaks
When you notice yourself getting tired or distracted, stop forcing yourself to focus and take a break instead. Taking regular breaks is essential if you want to perform your best. In fact, Cognition believes that the human brain’s attention begins to drop after a long period of focusing on a single task, decreasing our ability to focus any further and hindering our performance. Make sure to take brief breaks if you want to perform better.
- Set goals
If you want to attain high-performance at work during this crisis, you will need to be highly disciplined by setting daily goals and project milestones. When coming up with your objectives, make sure to collaborate with your manager or co-worker to achieve better results.
- Communicate
One of the dangers of working remotely is that you may begin to feel isolated. But, the numerous variety of telecommunications applications can help you stay connected with your co-workers. Video conferencing provides a meaningful social setting for team building, and managers and team leaders can have scheduled meetings to keep moving forward. Schedule regular conference calls with your team members to touch base. Make sure your manager and co-workers know that you are available and staying engaged.
Work with EXIMA
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