So, this coronavirus thing is going to be with us for a while. Some kids are giddily enjoying a summer break that may last up to six months. Other children are discovering that Mom and Dad are perfectly capable of filling in as home school teachers when the need arises. The most fortunate among us (not counting the kids with the half-year break) are the ones who can telecommute or otherwise work from home. Here are Gildshire’s best ideas for how to work from home if you are not used to doing such a thing.
Make a dedicated working area inside your home
You may already have a spot where you pay bills and such, but you have never had a workspace to continue your career at home. Now is the time. Carefully examine each area and decide if it has the necessary amenities. Does enough natural light hit it during the day? Is it close to the restroom? Is it far enough from the refrigerator that you won’t be tempted all day? You want one spot inside your home to identify mentally as your place to work, and nothing else.
Once you identify your work-space, don’t allow yourself to do non-work things there. Go somewhere else in the house to read for pleasure, eat, or watch TV.
Set Work Hours
They may not be your usual hours, but that’s okay. This might be a good time to experiment a bit. You may discover that your body clock is tuned differently than the company’s work hours. Try starting a half-hour earlier. That didn’t work for you? Go the other direction. Whatever hours you set, though, be strict with yourself. When you are at work, the place doesn’t shut down for “The Price is Right.” Working from home shouldn’t be any different. Take breaks, as well. Step completely away from your workspace, just like you do at work. If you don’t take breaks at work, both your work and your non-work life are suffering.
Unless it fits your lunch break, a work from home routine probably doesn’t include The Price is Right.
Stop at quitting time, just like Fred Flintstone did when the bird squawked. The rest of your life needs your attention. On the other hand, if you regularly work overly long hours, decide now if that is what you want to do. In short, if the COVID-19 virus fosters a change for you, allow it to take place.
Get caught up on sleep, and get yourself on a healthy sleep schedule
When you are setting your work hours, align them with your best sleeping times. The only way to determine your best sleeping times is to experiment with them, as well. Start by retiring earlier, turning off the phone, and the bedroom lights. Then, just as you did with your work hours, experiment a bit, each direction. However, once your body tells you to get up, do it! Do this for just a few days, and you will feel amazing! You may discover that you have never analyzed your body clock in just this way.
Next, find out how your best sleep schedule fits into your usual work-life once the COVID-19 virus is over, and we all go back to life as we knew it. It might be that your work schedule can be bounced around to fit the sleep routine that you now know is the best one for you.
You are ahead of the game if you can transition your work out of the house into a work-from-home experience. These tips should make the transition easier, while we wait for normalcy to return.
