Welcome to lockdown! This is a weird time for everyone, and that’s putting it lightly/ so many of us are used to waking up early and rushing through morning exercise, breakfast, a coffee or two, and even kissing our partners on the cheek goodbye. Often, we may not see our family before leaving the house.
However, with lockdown, everything has changed. Working from home is the new normal for many, and if you’ve never worked from home before, then it can be a challenge to adjust. To help you overcome this sudden and unexpected shift in your life, here are five tips and techniques on how to work and live at home without going crazy.
1. Learn How to Use Zoom (And Other Video Apps)
If you want to keep your performance up and reduce the mockery from your coworkers, it’s best to get to grips with Zoom and similar video conference services. Zoom will be free for a limited time. However, your business can invest in the premium version to keep everyone in the loop.
You may need to speak to just one person or hundreds of people, so make sure you know how everything works. It’s also worth getting the lighting right, so make sure to use plenty of light, keep the sun in front of you, so you’re not shadowed, and use a clean or blank background, preferably in a light color, to help you stand out.
2. Seek Social Contact
You shouldn’t only use meetings to discuss the tedious aspects of work. This is also your chance to connect with other people. You’ve likely been sorely missing this interaction already, so take the time to catch up with one another. Ask how their days are, and even share lockdown techniques, and share positive stories from your preferences. Doing this is made more accessible by using your new cloud-based hosted phone from Carolina Digital Phone that was set up quickly as soon as the crisis started.
You can also take the lockdown to reach out to people you’ve not spoken to in a long time, whether that’s your grandparents or friends you’ve not seen for a few months. While it’s tempting to reach out to exes in such troubling times, it is, however, best that you don’t because you don’t need any more complications in your life.
3. Kids and Pets Are Now Part of the Office
Office work was the chance to get away from the chaos of your home, but you have no way to escape this anymore. Instead of locking yourself away in your office, though, it’s better to embrace the problems that might arise when working from home.
This means you will need to get used to mysterious bumps downstairs, dogs barking at the mailman or delivery driver, and also being asked every six-or-so seconds what your favorite dinosaur is. Rather than get frustrated, it’s better to embrace it.
4. Create and Keep a Routine!
Creating and keeping a routine is one way to stay sane and even retain some semblance of normality. It’s best to start this by sticking as closely to your work schedule as possible. If you start work at 8, get to your new work desk for eight. You should also get changed out of your pajamas and into ‘work clothes,’ even if that’s just a clean t-shirt and sweatpants. It’s also beneficial to have a shower.
There’s a chance that your boss may want a video chat, so looking presentable will stop them thinking you’re treating this like a vacation. Likewise, a routine will help keep you focused, and will also give you a way to track your days, especially if working at home becomes the real normal at some point.
5. Be a Responsible Citizen
Make sure to keep washing your hands; only go out if you need to, such as for grocery shopping or a run around the block. Make sure that you adhere to social distancing rules, and above all else, be sure to stay safe, because the more you do this, the sooner we will overcome it.
The New Normal, The Real Normal?
While remote working, video meetings may feel odd right now and could be the new normal for many people, there is a distinct chance that working at home could become the new normal when this current coronavirus pandemic is all over.
If you want your business to be adequately prepared for this paradigm shift in everyday working, Carolina Digital Phone is the perfect option for you and your business. With 20 years of experience and dependable service, we can provide remote workers with all the tools they need to keep the business moving forward from the comfort of your home office.