Most of us now find ourselves working from home amidst the Coronavirus outbreak, and for some it will be the first time. Read our article for working from home tips for success.
Create your space and stay organised
A dedicated space to work at with a comfortable chair is likely to keep you productive throughout the day. Set up a home office in a study or other available space in your home and keep all of your work documents and other work related files within easy reach. Stand up desks are great to give you a break from sitting (and if you have the room!)
Gather your resources
Working from home will be a success if you have everything you need to use like you would on a normal day. This includes work colleague and industry contacts, passwords and logins, as well as resources and materials you would normally access.
Stick to routine
Get up at the same time as you normally would to go to work. It’s important to bring some normalcy as you’re adjusting to working from home. Having breakfast and getting dressed will make you feel ready to start the day. Be sure to schedule in daily tasks at the same time as you would complete them in the office.
Stay connected
Chat with work colleagues regularly to stay up to date with what they’re working on and to keep updated with how the business is going overall. Working remotely means no Monday morning catchups to hear about everybody’s weekend, or people stopping by your desk for a chat as they pass by. These interactions are greatly minimised when working from home which can lead to feeling isolated and ‘on the outer’.
Remain relevant
Looking for motivation to keep up productivity? Without being in regular contact with your team or boss, people can easily forget what you’re up to and what projects you’re working on. Stay relevant by continuing to work hard and deliver on results to show that you are adaptable and committed to working hard even while adjusting to working from home. Be prompt in your email replies and ask how others are going with their work.
Stay Focused
With distractions such as kids, pets and partners interrupting the flow of your work, it can be easy to lose focus when working from home for long periods.
It often requires us to re-evaluate our priorities, and practice greater discipline and focus. Now is the time to be able to set boundaries which will be easier if you clearly communicate this to your partner.
Remember health and safety practices
Keep up your productivity by eating regular healthy meals and getting up for a walk or stretch every 45 minutes or so. It’s important to keep breaks up, especially because we may work for longer periods of time. Keep phone and social media time to a minimum to avoid distractions.
If you’re using a laptop you might find it hard to switch off at the end of the day. Another working from home tip to help you switch from office mode back to home mode, is to use strategies such as moving your workstation to the end of the dining table, putting it away or covering it up at the end of the day to signal when you are and aren't working to the other members of your household.
It’s important to keep in touch with your essential services for any changes to your banking or finances. Our branches remain open and we’re here to support our members. Get in touch with us today if we can be of assistance.
The content in this article has been prepared by Horizon Bank for general information only and it is not intended to be professional advice. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should seek your own legal, accounting, financial or other professional advice where appropriate, and consider the relevant General Terms and Conditions before deciding whether to acquire any products or services offered by Horizon Bank and/or its affiliated partners. We do not recommend any third party products or services referred to in this article unless otherwise stated and we are not liable in relation to them. Any links to third party websites are for your information and we do not endorse any content on those sites. Horizon Credit Union Ltd ABN 66 087 650 173 AFSL and Australian Credit Licence Number 240573 trading as Horizon Bank.
