The COVID-19 crisis, coronavirus, is affecting all aspects of society, including the way we work. In response, the Ministry of Health has already advice to carry out telework and make working hours more flexible as much as possible to stop the expansion of the coronavirus.
In a country where the habit of teleworking is not yet widespread, many companies already had the possibility for their workers to telework a couple of days or a month. However, for many other companies, this situation is new since now they will have to work continuously from home. Welcome to the wonderful and lonely world of the self-employed. Do not think it is an early vacation, the coffee breaks of 30 minutes or more and the talks in the living room are over. At home, you have to work yes or yes.
That is why we have prepared 5 tips for you to try to carry this time of exile in your own home in the best possible way.
Create your home office – If you're going to work from home for a week or more, you probably need more space than the kitchen counter. Thus, try to create a dedicated work area where you have no distractions and that offer an appearance of privacy from your home life. Also, assess whether the chair and desk you will be working on are comfortable enough to be used for several hours.
Dress for Work – We all know that at home you like to be comfortable and pajamas are one of the most comfortable garments that can exist, but even so, you should know that you are on your work duty and therefore you have to be aware of that. So you should dress as if you were in the office. Let us clarify; it is not necessary that you put on your suit and tie, with a formal dress. By dressing in normal clothes, you will create a work environment and probably you will be more productive.
Talk to the IT department – An extended period of remote work will require more than the laptop you may take home from time to time. Obviously, you need to make sure you have the proper cables and adapters for your devices. But, you might consider adding other accessories such as mouse, to facilitate navigation on the laptop or headphones for video conferencing. Check with your company's IT department in advance to see if they can help you with setup. When they review the devices and cables you will need to take home, also ask them about how to install and use some programs on your computer when you are out of the office. Make sure you know how to access your company's virtual private network (VPN) if there is one, and your work email account.
Stay in touch with your coworkers – When you are teleworking, all the short conversations that normally happen in the break room or after meetings disappear. That means it's even more important to go the extra mile to keep your colleagues informed of your progress on assigned tasks and your overall calendar. Be sure to connect frequently with your peers, through email, phone, video call, or online chat. This means that you should have an updated contact list in case you cannot access the company network or email from home.
Follow a schedule – According to the experts, adhering to a daily routine is very much important when your office is also your home. Without a routine, it can be easy for the environment to distract you. Therefore, it is critical to establish one or two steps to indicate that you are about to start your work activity, such as preparing a fresh cup of coffee or turning off the morning news on television. Organize and measure the duration of your breaks so that work does not take over your full day. It is also important to have a routine to signal the end of your workday, such as closing all the programs you use to work on the computer or perhaps taking a short walk.
