With the pandemic keeping people at home for the next little while, it means a lot of us will have to find a way to stay productive and comfortable while we work from home. As companies like Google and Apple extend their work-from-home policies until September, working remotely will likely remain a staple in the modern day work environment.Working remotely comes with many perks: you can work from your couch and maybe when it warms up, even on your patio. It’s also been shown to make employees happier and less stressed which translates into empowered staff and better work. As we continue to work from home, we have 6 tips for how to work from home effectively.
1. Be Prepared – Make sure you have a reliable Wi-Fi connection and confirm you have access to any database, file or email you need. Don’t underestimate the importance of organization– it really boosts productivity and helps you de-stress. But if you’re a little forgetful (like me), consider downloading TeamViewer. It’s an easy-to-use program that allows you to access any computer remotely.
2. Communicate – When you’re in the office it’s beneficial to see and run into your coworkers– for a quick chat or to confirm some information. When you’re working remotely, it’s still important to be connected to your colleagues. It’s important to foster this sense of community even if you’re not in the office. At FixMeStick, we use Slack to communicate with each other, and even had a holiday party on Zoom!
3. Dress the part – Would you go to work in your PJs? Probably not. If you’re working from home you still need to be disciplined with respect to your routine. Wearing PJs all day just makes you want to sit on the couch and do nothing. It’s not exactly the productive mindset your employers are looking for. Maintain your status as an effective team member by starting with your outfit.
4. Have a work area – Although working on your couch under some blankets seems great, it is unlikely you’ll be very productive under there. Creating a comfortable work station makes you more efficient. But you can also view this as an opportunity to get creative with your work space in a way you may not be able to at the office.
5. Take breaks – It’s not fun or healthy to work 8 straight hours. Give yourself short breaks, take a quick walk, prepare and eat a nice lunch – in the long run this will make you more energetic.
6. Make sure it’s the right fit – Working from home can seem like a dream but you need to be capable of self-direction and time management. If you’re easily distracted, you may find you need the office environment to get things done. For those of you missing your offices here’s hoping we can all get back to them in 2021!
If working remotely is part of your company culture and it’s the right fit with your personality it can be a refreshing experience. It eliminates the commute, you can be more efficient and even multi-task. If you’re stuck at home today, why not run a FixMeStick scan on your home computer while you work off your company PC.
Don’t have a FixMeStick? Try it today! There’s no better time to make sure your computers are virus free than while you’re working from home!
You can learn more about the FixMeStick here!
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