As Stay At Home continues to be mandated, companies, especially in the BPO industry, now allow their employees to work remotely. For those who have already experienced working at home, they might find themselves easily adapting to the setup. But for those who aren’t, might find themselves unproductive or beating themselves up for the first couple of days. To further improve your Work From Home routines (and maintain that fine line between working and personal life), we compiled five important tips that might help you ease into working at home. Check them out below!  

SET WORK SCHEDULE & BOUNDARIES

What time is your usual Time Ins and Outs? How often do you take breaks in the office, and do you follow a specific time for it? Answer the following questions and use them as a guide when you create your schedule. Don’t forget to set your boundaries as well. Because it doesn’t mean you’re at home, you can already let yourself plunge into working eight more hours than your usual. Remember, overworking is your one-way ticket to burnout town! It is also best to set a To-Do list the night before or at least 30 minutes before your shift starts. Through this, you will be able to identify what tasks you will be accomplishing for the day. Moreover, give you a sense of direction and will prevent yourself from getting distracted (or lost down the internet rabbit hole). Plot your in-between breaks as well. Don’t skip meals, give yourself the leisure of coffee breaks just like you would in the office. And when your time’s up, shove off the guilt that lurks around the corner and sign off. Besides, there’s always a new day to start anyway. It is imperative to follow a strict routine so you can set a distinct boundary between work and life.   

CONTINUE YOUR WORK ROUTINE

While work at home might seem convenient, ditching that work routine you’re so used to might just throw you off the loop. So despite staying in the comforts of your home, don’t turn your multiple alarm clocks off and let it continue to wake you up every morning. If your shift starts at eight, wake up at your usual 1-2 hours ahead. Have some breakfast, drink up some hot brewed coffee, then get off your PJ’s and shower. You won’t go to work with a bedhead, right? Dress up nicely as if you’re still heading out. What you need to take out from this routine, however, is your commute time. Instead of extending five more minutes into your sleeping time, why not head out for a quick jog, or in this case, do some indoor exercises. You can also go out for exposure to the sun and soak some Vitamin D. You might also want to do some quick chores, watch the latest news, or listen to your favorite podcast. By following the same work routine will continue to encourage you, feel that sense of duty, and keep that productive motivation going.  

YOUR MAKESHIFT OFFICE

By all means, not in your bed, and if you can find a spot other than your bedroom, better. “When you’re working, work from this spot. When you’re not working, avoid it,” said in an article by The Japan Times. As we all know, the bed or bedroom as a whole is a place for relaxation, and having to integrate work in that area would lead you to either: losing the sense of relaxation in that spot or end up unproductive. Make sure to set up a comfortable workspace. Use a table and chair that wouldn’t make your back hurt, choose a properly lit room, and keep unnecessary noise out as much as possible. During phone calls, use noise cancellation headphones to block off these noises or mute your microphone when you aren’t talking to avoid unnecessary noise from your end. Secure a spot in your house that would allow you to focus on your task, productivity, and away from distraction.  

VIRTUAL WORK SOCIALIZATION

While chats might be very useful in communication, you might want to consider having downtime on when to chatter up on the chat. Surge chatter can trigger consistent notification pop-ups, which can then cause disturbance to the rest of the group. Plan a specific time for communication (group call check-up) and quite time (avoid discussion on group chat, PM them instead).  

THE TECHNICAL STUFF

With most people surfing the world wide web these days, the call for cybersecurity has tripled. Users are now asked to be more vigilant and careful about what they click online to swerve away from online predators and threats. As you work from home, make sure to secure your online presence with reliable antivirus software and scan every other day. Watch out for suspicious websites and malicious files, phishing emails, and set strong passwords to secure your online accounts. Also, make use of the two-factor authentication for additional security. Be mindful of what you click.  

READ: Data Privacy Day: Here’s why you NEED to practice Cyber Hygiene

 

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Again, the secret to productivity when working from home is to carry on with your usual work routine, minus the commute. Aside from that, don’t beat yourself up for not being able to give that 100 percent. Because after all, work from home was introduced as a solution to keep business operations going amid the pandemic.

Instead, take a steady pace and be more mindful of your health—both physical and mental. If you feel overwhelmed and need someone to talk to other than your family and peers, you might want to consider availing online therapy sessions. It’s another way for you to discuss challenges and reconnect with people outside isolation.   — Understand that the pandemic we are currently facing is invisible, and knowing who’s infected and who’s not by sight is impossible. Let us help contain and flatten the curve by staying at home.  

REFERENCE

• https://www.cosmo.ph/lifestyle/career-money/online-work-from-home-sa662-20200322-src-fn?ref=feed_1
• https://www.nextiva.com/blog/working-from-home-tips.html
• https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/productivity-tips-working-from-home
• https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/03/21/commentary/world-commentary/get-dressed-tips-work-
• home-veteran/#.Xnl599MzZkU