2020 was a whirl wind of a year. Only a short few months after celebrating the new year, the world was placed in a lockdown. Isolated from our friends and family, teachers, colleagues, and fellow students due to Covid-19. No longer allowed to go to class, work or engage in most social activities, unless stringent measures to prevent the virus were in place. On a day-to-day basis we are faced with so many new challenges, whilst at the same time trying to find new ways of doing things at a rapid speed in order to keep the economy from failing even further. Amid the third wave and Covid-19 showing no signs of defeat we all have begun to accept a so called “New Normal”.
One of the key challenges for everyone in the “New Normal”, has been to work or study from home. Technology has played a key roll in assisting virtual team meetings, conferences, training, and customer support services to name a few. Even the events industry has been very creative in using online platforms to create virtual product launches and conferences. Although many offices, schools and universities have re-opened, covid-19 has shown that it is possible to study and work remotely. Companies are now questioning travel budgets, expensive office spaces and looking into the productivity employees have shown whilst working from home.
In a recent study conducted by Harvard Business school, they found that Companies with a large work-from-anywhere policy were able to boost employee productivity, lower costs, and reduce their turnover.
Whilst the research looks promising for both the individual and the organisations, one thing for sure is that it has its own challenges. So how do we make sure we are productive working or studying remotely. We have put together a shortlist of our 5 top tips:
- Create a workspace; even if you do not have a study or home office, you need to create a space where you can work comfortably. This means a space which has access to the required technology, which is private and away from the distraction of family, pets, etc. If you are unable to escape from family distractions during the day. Try see if you can discuss flexible working hours with your company and see if you are able to get more done at night.
- Know the rules of the company; Does your company allow flexible working hours, or do they require you to work nine-to-five? Will they supply you with the infrastructure and tools to work from home, or will it be at your own expense? Security regulations with regards to internet usage and documents etc.
- Try keep a regular routine; even though you may not need to leave home at a certain time to miss the traffic, it’s a good idea to wake up at the same time and get ready for the day as if you were going to the office. By keeping a routine, you can manage your time more effectively, and allow family you might be sharing a home with to know which hours to leave you alone.
- Plan social activities; even if you are not a very social person, everyone needs to have some sort of interaction beyond the four walls they are working in everyday. Plan calls with team members, friends, family. If it is safe, making arrangements to have lunch with friends and family, join an exercise class.
- Be aware that you are keeping a work life balance. Working from home sometimes means that your work is never separate from your home life. Try and keep a healthy work life balance. This means having an area in your home where you are able to escape from at the end of every work day. By working from home you might be saving time from being stuck in traffic but research has shown that most work from home employees work more than an 8 hour shift as they don’t have a set time they need to leave the office each day.
As we go through the third wave and the threat of further lockdowns, we wish you health and many productive hours whether working in an office or remotely. If you are entering the workforce look for our next article where we look at CV and interview skills.