Working from home can be an adjustment.
Even the best workers can find small changes in their work environment unsettling, and shifting location, workflow, and strategy to adapt to working from home is more than enough to have anybody grasping for a sense of normalcy.
With some good tips, planning, and forward thinking, however, you too can become master of your new domain, keeping the same focus and productivity that led you to success during office life. To help out, we’ve put together a list of tips and tricks just for local customers like you, and we hope it helps everybody get used to the new normal that is working from home. And of course, we threw in a few ways that technology can help keep things on track, as well. Let’s take a look!
Schedules are Serene
At first, working from home may seem like a chance to mix things up, a chance to not have to have your work so set on a regular schedule. You can easily do chores when you want, work when you want, and everything will be dandy as you drink the sweet, sweet nectar of freedom.
This might work for a bit, but soon you’ll find that, just as easy as it is to take breaks whenever you want, it’s also easy to keep working -- all the time. Without a set schedule, you’ll soon be replying to emails at all hours of the night, and you may find your work/life balance shifting too far in one direction.
There’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of the freedom that working from home allows, but setting a set schedule helps you make a routine – and stick to it. This will be better in the long run, trust us.
Work Smarter and Stay Connected
You may be working from home, but you’ve still got a team out there – and it’s important to stay connected to them.
This is where some great new technology comes in. Whether you are using Zoom or another chatting service, video conferencing solutions, or other fancy new pieces of technology, there are many ways to get some good face-to-face time with the rest of your co-workers.
Of course, all of this tech requires the internet, and you’ll probably find that your home network isn’t anywhere near as good as your one at work. The good news? We can help with that! Reach out and get ready for us to show you network solutions that will keep all your video calls actually working and functioning as video calls. As long as you remember to mute and unmute yourself, that is.
Take Breaks
No matter if you are used to working from home or this is a new shift for you, it can take a bit of time to get into the groove. One area that this is especially true for is in taking breaks.
Daily office life is filled with breaks – both those that are planned and those that just ... happen. Whether it’s talking to people on your way to your desk every morning, chatting with coworkers in the break room, or just the random conversations that happen between desk neighbors, normal office work is usually filled with short distractions that can break up your workflow.
But when you are at home? It can be easier to focus on work without the distractions of an office, but that also means it can be easy to overwork. It’s important to make sure to get up and stretch throughout the day, and taking a few minutes to walk outside and clear your head is a good idea, as well. Both your body and mind are used to these mini-breaks throughout the day, so finding a way to keep them as part of your working-from-home routine can actually boost your productivity.
A Throne of a Chair
What’s one thing you can do right away to make working from home great? Buy a comfortable and supportive chair.
This doesn’t just apply to your chair, though – make sure you are set up with a good keyboard and mouse, and everything else you need to do your job. If you needed it at the office to get things done comfortably, then you most likely need it at home, too.
Of course, if you are looking for things on the electronics side to bring to your home office, that’s what we are here for! Stop on in or give us a call today and we’d be glad to help you get set up with all the technology you need to make working from home go as smoothly as possible.
Lists on Lists on Lists
What’s the best secret to working from home that we can share? The importance of lists.
It may seem simple, but making a to-do list every morning can go a long way toward making sure you get everything done in a day that you need to get done. Lists can help you multi-task and prioritize, and can make you a work-from-home productivity superstar. And it just feels good to cross things off a list as you complete tasks!
But, if you are still struggling to get your home office or network set up to support your working from home, give us a call or stop in today! We’re here to help support all your technology and electronic needs, and are always happy to help our customers find just the tech solutions they are looking for.