Strategies for Remote Workers and Students

With schools now in full swing, some places are still forcing parents into the unenviable position of having to play educator as well as having to work full-time. This has caused a lot of stress for a lot of people. As the pandemic keeps people from congregating in numbers, school administrators will most likely err on the side of caution to attempt to keep COVID-19 from ravaging homes the way it has since March. Parents--some of whom are still working from home--need help if they can’t count on schools to be open for business as usual. Today, we’ll outline a few tips that people could benefit from if they are asked to work or go to school from their home. 

Tip #1 - Get a Workspace

Sometimes it is hard to rearrange your life, but it is much easier to rearrange your home. If you are being asked to work from home, or if your kids are going to be telelearning or doing a hybrid approach like many schools are doing these days, a space to do work is crucial. It gets a little hairy when online school and work overlap, but most people’s homes are filled to the brim with leisure space. You’ll need a dedicated workspace if you want to get anything done. 

Tip #2 - Prepare Like You Always Would

Just because you aren’t going to leave the house doesn’t mean you should act like you aren’t. A great way to get yourself in a productive frame of mind is to get up and go through your routine like you would if you were leaving all day. Sure, your cat will still try to sleep on your desk, but getting in the right frame of mind is really important if you want to be your best during the workday.

Tip #3 - Limit Your Social Media Use

It’s completely understandable that when you are home that you would want to engage with people via social media. The problem is that you are expected to be working or doing schoolwork and social media is a never ending distraction. To facilitate this change, it is a good idea to remove social media shortcuts from your work browser or use a whole other browser for work. You can also choose to use an incognito window for work so that you don’t have as easy of access to your social accounts. 

Tip #4 - Understand When You are Most Productive

Even when you were working from the office or going to school, you didn’t spend all day focused on your work. Most people don’t work like that. The ones that claim to typically sign the checks. You need to know when you are most effective and buckle down during those times. Save your most difficult tasks for times when you are at your best and your workday will get easier. 

Tip #5 - Make Sure Everyone is On the Same Page

In order for you to be productive you need to sustain focus. If there are constant distractions coming from the other people at your house, you likely won’t get much done; and what you get done will likely not be your best. You need to communicate your needs and expectations with the people who are around you. Set ground rules that make everyone understand that when you are at work that you are not to be disturbed. It’s hard to work from home if people keep bothering you all day long. 

Tip #6 - Communicate with Others

While you try to manage your distractions at home, you need to understand that you still have a team out there that works more effectively if you are on the same page, too. Be sure to reach out to your co-workers to talk about work or life every once in a while. You are working from home, not the Sahara Desert (unless that’s where your home is), make sure the people you work with know you’re still alive. 

Working from home or going to school from home can be tough, but if you take a little time and effort to make it worthwhile the sky's the limit. If you need to talk to an IT professional about getting your team the tools they need to work remotely, or if you would like to pick our technicians’ brains, give us a call at (978) 482-2020 today.