By now, it’s become apparent that the coronavirus is here to stay for the foreseeable future. Social distancing, bans against mass gatherings, and working from home are going to be part of the landscape for the next several months.
While shifting to remote work is undoubtedly the right call during a pandemic, adjusting to working from home can be a challenge, especially for those who have never done it before. While the prospect of making money in their pajamas may be a dream to some, the loss of boundaries and routine may be a nightmare for others.
Remote work will be a prominent feature of this period of COVID-19. Here are four ways to make the transition to remote work easier!
1 – Create a schedule
The main challenge when working remotely is how lines blur in your mindset between work and home. When you’re free to stop and resume work at will, you might find it hard to focus — or once you get your groove on, it can be difficult to stop!
Straighten out boundaries by setting a schedule. Keep your mind and body on a routine as if you were going to the office. Make it a habit to shower, change your clothes, and get breakfast and coffee before you boot up your computer — just like a regular day at work.
Your schedule is helpful the other way around too. By stopping work at a set time every day, you secure your personal time for rest and recreation. Put off unfinished tasks for the following day and resist the urge to check your emails. Everything will still be there when you log in again tomorrow.
2 – Protect your time
You may be glad to get some distance from your boss and coworkers, but now you’ve got new people to contend with in your workspace, and that’s your family.
If you’ve never worked remotely before, changing your mindset isn’t just a challenge to you, it’ll also affect the people you live with. They may think that just because you’re sitting the whole day at your computer, you’re free to chat or do chores. But that isn’t the case!
The key is to include the people you live with in your transition. Explain to your family that even if you’re home, you need to concentrate as if you were still in the office. Make your work hours clear or move to a separate room if you have to — again, the idea is to create boundaries between home and work life.
3 – Shift your space
Speaking of moving to a different room, sometimes a change of environment is precisely what you need to train your brain to switch from home to hustle mode. This may be as simple as blocking off your spare room to use as an office, or relocating somewhere that will be more conducive for remote work.
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4 – Carve out time for exercise
You may not have realized how much physical activity you actually get from your commute until now that it’s gone. While lying with your laptop in bed might feel grand for the first couple of weeks, your body’s going to feel the punishing effects over time.
Set aside an hour every day (imagine it’s just the same amount of time you’d spend walking to work or standing on the train) to do some stretches or jumping jacks. There are plenty of workout videos on YouTube designed for people who can’t go to the gym.
You can also burn calories while working by purchasing a standing desk or attending to client calls on the treadmill!
Make it work!
When it comes to working remotely, it may help if you perceive this shift as a chance to create a new routine and workspace that’s tailor-fit to your personal needs. With time, you might even learn to enjoy the freedom that comes with working away from the confines of the office!
Life may take a long time to go back to the way it was (if it ever will), and it will save you a lot of agony if you accept the new normal rather than waiting on the world to change back.
