In the thick of the coronavirus outbreak, many employees are suddenly facing voluntary or mandatory work-from-home policies. The result is an entire workforce contemplating how to juggle hyperactive children at home full time with limited resources to accommodate business from the comfort of a bedroom rather than the boardroom.
Even if you’ve logged hours at home before, bringing business to your residence because of a health crisis might feel like a whole new world. Here are top tips that employees can take to mitigate risk, increase productivity and maintain your mental health while working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic.
1. Dress Up
While it sounds simple, getting dressed for work can have a profound impact on your day-to-day success. The temptation to lounge around in pajamas all day can be great. Just remember, comfort is not the goal; productivity is.
It can be difficult to create a spatial separation from work-time and leisure-time; there may be no office gossip or lunchroom politics to mark each passing hour. Once the novelty of a more laid-back atmosphere wears thin, however, you may contend with loneliness; moreover, it becomes far too easy to forget that you’ve been wearing the same sweatpants for a week.
Dressing as though you’re headed for a day at the office stifles these negative impacts. It also allows you to feel more, well, human. Operating from the healthy mindset that you’re carrying on life as normal and contributing to the workforce will ensure you wind up far ahead of others who are shrinking in this time of uncertainty.
2. Protect Your Assets
With so many abandoned office spaces, many employees are fearful that their security may be compromised. From stolen supplies to vandalized technology, leaving things unattended can create undesirable anxiety.
Lorex Wi-Fi security cameras help mitigate those concerns. Able to connect seamlessly with a home wireless network and record to an onboard microSD card, these security cameras allow you to stay connected to your office even if miles away. If a person wants a motion-controlled recording, high-definition visuals or night vision, it’s easy to recognize why having the right camera in place provides comfort to a worried mind.
3. Shift to a Membership Business Model
Whether you’re a business owner or an employee, switching to an online business model is an effective way to elevate your career while working from home. It allows you to virus-proof your company and continue serving your clients and employees in a meaningful fashion.
Often, people choose a membership business when they want to increase their impact and income while delivering meaningful results for others. Doing so enables the business owner to charge a monthly fee so that clients or customers can access resources, training and information. In this current climate of social distancing, being able to continue operations online differentiates companies substantially.
4. Keep Communicating
If you’re accustomed to face-to-face chats with colleagues and company leaders, not having an open line of communication can be detrimental. The key to steering through these challenges is to communicate — often and openly. Check-in with anyone you normally touch base with during a workday. Convey changes or new assignments regularly. And avoid relying on email to do so.
Unless your typical method of communicating is e-mail, schedule a Zoom meeting or pick up the phone and make a call. This will help avoid miscommunication in a time where sensitivities and misunderstandings are at an all-time high.
Remember, This Shall Pass
Remaining optimistic in a time of darkness can be a stretch. Yet doing so will not only help your career, it will help you keep pushing forward while others fall behind. Keep these tips for working from home top of mind as you transition your home into an office.
Pinstripe Magazine Staff
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