No one could have predicted COVID-19’s impact in Canada, forcing businesses to close and millions of employees to become first-time remote workers.
Home-based employment’s on-trend and so are home offices. For first-timers working in this unfamiliar work setup, here are some work-from-home tips to get you started. This is the ultimate guide to working from home for beginners.
Establish a Work-From-Home Routine
Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you should be acting like it. Like you would commuting to work and working in your usual office, establish a routine. Set a lunchtime, get dressed for work like you would normally, segment your time throughout your shift, and eat healthy.
Get Your Work-From-Home Essentials
No one wants to be miserable at work. If something doesn’t feel right, change it. Get the work-from-home essentials you need to feel comfortable, focused, and productive. For some, that means over-the-ear headphones to play music on and block out noise. For others, it’s an ergonomic height-adjustable desk.
Finish Work At a Set Time
Newbies working from home tend to work, work, and work. They skip breaks, they don’t eat healthy, and they tend to not know when to ‘shut off’. This is normal. Unfortunately, it leads to anxiety, stress, and burnout. Always maintain ‘work hours’ and ‘off-hours’. Finish at a set time. Separate your work time from your personal time.
Human-to-Human Contact
A lot of us are going stir crazy in this COVID-19 work-from-home environment. To stay sane, you have got to make an effort to maintain your connections. Whether it’s family, work colleagues, and/or non-work friends, you will feel so much better connecting, being social, and it’ll cure loneliness in its tracks.
Are There Work-From-Home Accessories That Can Help You?
These aren’t your ‘essentials’ per se. Chances are, there are work-from-home accessories that could help you be more focused or productive. Consider investing in a couple. A headphone hanger, a new computer keyboard, Ethernet cables, or a single monitor desk mount are all examples of requested accessories others have purchased through PrimeCables.ca.
Time Management
If you’re not used to working from home, you might be experiencing some trouble staying productive. The best solution is to practice better time management. Time yourself. Sign in and sign out. There are also plenty of project management and time management apps that help work-from-home Canadians keep track of their affairs, such as Calendly, Trello, and Toggl.
This Is Your New Normal
As provinces likely loosen COVID-19 restrictions over the following summer months, this doesn’t mean employees are going to be thrust back into commuting to work. It is very likely most work-from-home setups will continue, in some capacity. Whether you like it or not, fortunately or unfortunately, get used to it.
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