Working from home - a new necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic

We are living through a significant time with the Coronavirus/COVID-19 impacting our community. We want to express our care for our community and we encourage you during this time to take every precaution to keep your health and safety a priority. With the crisis that all of us are experiencing, most businesses, all schools, and a majority of jobs are taking drastic measures to help our community stop the spread of COVID-19. 

Because of this, working and operating small businesses from home has become a solution. Some companies are implementing work from home solutions for their employees. Some small business owners are looking at new ‘work from home’ opportunities for the first time. And while this is not an ideal scenario for anyone... how can you be productive working from home?

It can be tempting to wake up late and just lounge in your pajamas on the couch. But will that lead to your most productive day? (Hint: no, no it won’t) For you to be able to have a productive day working from home, here are some tips:

STICK TO A ROUTINE.

Set working time. What time would you normally get up and start working? For example, say your workday is from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. This means that all work communication is limited to the hours you’ve decided on. Don't forget to include breaks in your day too! 

If you have kids and even your spouse or partner, let them know that you have working hours and break time. As much as possible, try to end work at the same time every day. 

SET REALISTIC GOALS.

To be productive and getting things done, you have to set goals and be realistic about them. Just like as you would work in the office, your priorities and goals stay the same. What tasks or projects do you need to tackle first? Which items on your to-do list can wait until tomorrow? Prioritize your workload so that you don't feel overwhelmed. 

ONE TASK AT A TIME.

Sure, you’re working at home now and distractions are all around you. Have a specific day and time to do household chores; don't do them during your designated working hours. You can work all morning and do the laundry all afternoon or you can do all work Monday - Friday but on Saturday you the household chores. It is really up to you, as long as you don't multitask. Because the more you multitask, the more your focus is scattered. 

GET EQUIPPED.

For most people, the only essentials you need when working from home is a laptop, reliable internet connection, and your iphone. Although, a good chair, a separate space away from your family, noise-canceling headphones, and a hot cup of coffee never hurt! 

HAVE A DESIGNATED SPOT TO WORK

Having a separate workspace doesn't mean you need to have a complete home office. You need an area that will help you to be mentally prepared to get into work mode, whether it's a separate room, a small desk in the corner of your living room, or a laptop at the kitchen counter. 

Pro tip: resist the temptation to work in a space where you would usually go to relax like couch or your bed. Your mind will set into lounge mode, rather than work mode… a productivity killer!

So, there you have it! 

If you'll be working from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope this list will help you. Share your productivity tips for working from home. We’d love to hear them!