Working remotely
Covid- 19 has brought about many changes for a lot of us. One of those is that we work from home more often.
Perhaps we land up permanently working from home…who knows what the future holds?
There are advantages and disadvantages of course.
If you are renting a small apartment or a shared home then it could be difficult. It could be quite challenging if you are not used to working in cramped spaces.
But if you have a designated area, perhaps a study or extra bedroom or area off the lounge to utilise then it can be quite different.
We all need better work – life balance so it is important to strive towards keeping that balance even when working from home.
Tips for working from home
Establish clear boundaries for your work and your home life- just because you are at home doesn’t mean that you have to be housekeeper and cook as well during your working hours, if others in the household are not working from home.
Make sure you have a good internet connection or a VPN connection.
Keep a work routine, i.e. if you normally start at 8 am and have a break at 10 am then do so. Instead of doing laundry etc in your break, have a cuppa or stretch your legs in the garden.
Keep a list of tasks to compete for the day and try to avoid unnecessary interruptions.
Organise your information so that all your relevant files and necessary tools are easily accessible. Cloud-based content management and file sharing systems like Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive are useful as they enable you to access files on any device at any time. They also provide a handy backup service.
Think about what time of day is the most productive for you and schedule your most meaningful work into these hours, but be mindful of others who might work to a different schedule when you have to liaise with them.
Stress and burnout are just as much of a risk in a home environment as an office one. So be as disciplined about disconnecting as you are about logging on.
Make sure that you take regular breaks, morning and afternoon and lunch time.
Keep in contact via Facetime, Skype or Messenger with your work colleagues. By communicating and sharing information with each other keeps the loneliness at bay for those who do not like being on their own.
Even if you don’t work remotely on a regular basis, take this post as a gentle reminder to review the systems you have in place.
Your goal should be to be good to go at whatever that entails to keep your work as productive as possible for future job security.
©2021 e-propertymatters.com|women-in-realestate.com|Author| Kathryn