Author Archives: kate

May11

Practical Life Hacks: Tips to Keep Your Energy Bill Low While Working From Home

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Practical Life Hacks: Tips to Keep Your Energy Bill Low While Working From Home

During the pandemic, working from home was no longer a perk or privilege – it was a necessity. While most corporate employees have returned or are getting ready to return to the office, a lot of us still work from home. 

Back when people were still going to the office, electricity consumption was still regulated by how long people were out for work. That means if you work a 9 to 5, you’re not likely to leave the heating or AC on during those times. Things like light bulbs, gadget chargers, and TVs contribute very little to your overall energy consumption. The real things to look out for are items that have a heating or cooling component – like water heaters, air conditioner, or the fridge. 

Aside from desktops and or laptops, you probably have the AC or the heater (depending on the season and which part of the world you’re in) on for the most part of the day. Here are some tips to reduce your energy bill while you work from home:

Keep the fridge full. 

Freezers work most efficiently when packed as full as possible. Here’s why: your fridge uses a lot of energy to replace all the cold air that flows out every time someone opens the door. By keeping the fridge and freezer at least 2/3 full, only 1/3 or less of that air can leak out.

Clean it up.

Clean your fridge by brushing dust and dirt off the condenser coils and also defrost it regularly. Make sure there’s space between the fridge and the wall so air can circulate and ensure that it’s not overworked. Don’t forget to clean the outside and brush the coils of your AC, too. Cleaning them improves the appliances’ efficiency by 30%.

Use the fan whenever possible.

If you need cooling and you’re not in an area where it’s hazardous to open your windows (safety, noise, pollution, etc.), then use a fan. Place a fan near a window so that it can suck in the cool breeze from outside and distribute it inside. You can also create a DIY air conditioner using a fan by placing a shallow bowl (like a roasting pan) full of ice in front of a fan. The breeze will pick up cold water from the ice’s surface as it melts, creating a cooling mist.

Use natural lighting when possible.

Turn off the lights during the day. Light bulbs give off heat, and you’ll need to offset that heat with the AC or a fan. If you have windows that let sunlight in, open those and take advantage of longer daytime during summer, when you can afford to keep the lights off till 8 or 9 at night.

What about you? What are your WFH energy-saving tips? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

May3

Why Having Diversity In Your Teams Is Important

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Why Having Diversity In Your Teams Is Important

“According to a recent demographic analysis conducted by the Pew Research Center, by 2055, the U.S. will no longer have a single racial or ethnic majority. This shift towards a more diverse population will have major impacts on the workforce and how organizations address diversity in the workplace.” -PeopleScout

Diversity in workplaces is a common topic among recruitment professionals, hiring managers, and human resources departments. Workplace diversity is having employees with a wide range of characteristics and experiences and understanding and accepting those unique characteristics that set them apart from each other. Advocates have been building the case for workplace diversity for decades but just in a few years, the movement has grown by leaps and bounds. Workplace diversity is no longer just about hiring diversely unique individuals, it is also about making sure that there is equal participation among the diverse workplace. In short, diversity should go hand in hand with inclusivity and empowerment. There are a lot of actual benefits to having a diverse team.

Striving to create a diverse workforce is no longer an office slogan – it is actually a sound business decision. Studies show that diverse teams turn out to be smarter. This is because they tend to bring out the best in each other. Putting a variety of talented people in the same room will produce a collaboration that challenges their thinking and sharpen their performance. It can only yield incredible benefits to your business. Here are some of them:

  • A homogeneous team is likely to generate similar ideas while a heterogeneous workforce is likely to exchange unique perspectives. This difference between perspectives allows teams to be non-conformist and dream up new concepts and ideas that result in radical innovation and unrestrained creativity.
  • Diverse teams focus more on facts because they are more aware of their own potential biases. Thus, they become better at problem-solving because they produce more solutions. They are quicker at decision-making because they generate more solutions that lead to being better informed. This gives companies with diverse teams a great advantage over competitors.
  • Diversity can also translate to increased profits. A diverse workforce is more likely to understand your customers’ needs and come up with innovative and more creative ideas to fulfill them.
  • Diversity improves employee engagement and reduces turnover. The reason is simple, employees who feel more included are more engaged. Thus, they feel happier and stay with the company longer.

Diversity is not just a hiring fad to show that employers are inclusive and socially responsible. It is also an opportunity to show that the company is a great place to work in and that attracts top talent. Diversity in your teams will not only improve your company’s profits and reputation but will also improve your organization’s intellectual potential. What other benefits do you see to having diverse teams? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Apr26

How to Survive Quarantining With Kids

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How to Survive Quarantining With Kids

Last week, we talked about how to create a routine that works, and why routines are important to help you be more productive and efficient throughout your day. This is especially helpful if you work from home or if you are doing shift work. 

Speaking of working from home…how many of you have the graceful blessing but the extra complication of working from home with kids? I’d understand if you’re too tired to raise your hand. During the pandemic, a lot of working parents have discovered the joys of being able to stay at home and look after their kids as they quarantine together. At the same time, a lot of working parents have also discovered that they suddenly have to work twice as hard when quarantining with kids, once as a working from home professional and twice as a stay at home parent. 

Not all work from home set-ups are created equal. If you’re a freelancer or have always been working from home pre-pandemic, chances are you have more flexibility and control over your time. If you are working from home because of the quarantine, there’s a big possibility that your office is going to expect you to stick to routines and operation hours. It will be business as usual but in a work from home setting.

This distinction is what will make or break your quarantining with kids experience. Obviously, parents who have more flexibility can work around their children’s feeding schedule, playtime, nap time, or online school activities. These tips are for the parents who find working from home with kids, more challenging.

Share the responsibility

If you and your spouse are both working from home, then you have to discuss child care first and foremost. If you haven’t, do it now before it turns into a fight. You both have to understand that child care has to be a shared responsibility and that you are going to have to take turns looking after your children.

Work child care into your schedule

If you can afford it, work broken hours so that you can incorporate your children’s routine into yours. Wake up earlier then they do so that you can get in a few quiet hours to yourself to do your morning routine or get some work done. Once they’re up, you can get breakfast together and prepare them for class. Once they’re in online classes, you can probably knock out some conference calls at the same time while they’re busy with lessons. Share your alternative schedule with your boss and ask for a bit of flexibility. 

Be an early bird

This will not work for everyone, especially those who work with teams or are sticking to business hours. The alternative is to wake up early and do as much prep as you can for the day. Here are some things that you can prep for:

  • Snacks and Meals (you can also do your meal prep on weekends)
  • Outfits (kids and yours)
  • Work/Study area (make sure gadgets are charged and earphones are available)
  • Pet food and water
  • Clean up (quick clean areas like desks and kitchen counters)

Make sure to get everyone (even the kids) onboard and create an area dedicated only for work from home related activities. That means the kids should understand that they are not allowed in that “no-kids zone”. Ask for help. You can enlist the help of older kids to take care of the younger ones as well. What are your survival tips for quarantining with kids? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Apr19

How To Create a Routine That Works

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How To Create a Routine That Works

Last week, we talked about how to be productive, no matter what shift schedule you are on. The success of that advice hinges on having a routine or structure to your day. Routines work because they take away your reliance on willpower. As we all know and have experienced firsthand, willpower is an extremely finite resource. Everytime we call it up, it takes effort. The opposite is true for routines. Routines don’t require a lot of effort. If anything they are muscle memory and are just things that are quietly ingrained into your day. 

A routine is a series of habits or actions strung together in a sequence or pattern. For it to benefit you, your routine should include actions that will help you focus, improve your concentration and performance, and help you stay motivated. It’s a tall order, but remember that you get to customize your routine. You get to pick and plug in habits that work for you.

Here are some suggestions of smart and helpful actions to add to your routine:

  1. Wake Up To Natural Light – studies show that natural lighting increases concentration and focus. If you want to increase your productivity throughout the day, start by waking up to natural light.
  2. Do Something Motivational – this could be as simple as reciting your favorite affirmations or doing yoga or meditation for 10minutes. Or you could schedule a quick workout to boost your feel-good hormones and ensure that you are energized and supercharged for the rest of the day.
  3. Dress For Success – take a quick shower and dress up! If you work from home, working in your pajamas won’t help you get into a productive mindset. Also, dressing up for work will ensure that you look good in those Zoom meetings.
  4. Minimize Distractions – this means staying away from social media, getting rid of clutter, and minimizing noise. Start by having a clear desk and getting rid of clutter. We’ve all fallen into the rabbit hole of checking social media apps and then coming up for air an hour after. If you can’t shake the habit, there are apps specifically designed to minimize social media distractions. 
  5. Take Breaks – breaks help you refocus on your tasks. They give your brain time to rest. Plan to take 5-minute breaks in between tasks so you can take a breather and come back more productive than ever.

Pick and match the best habits that work for you and add them to your routine. Creating a process, or fixed program with these habits strung together in a flow or logical order is called “habit stacking.” The goal is to establish a flow of good habits that you don’t even have to think about, it comes naturally. This frees up brainpower for better decision-making, concentration, and creativity. 

What does your work routine look like? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Apr12

How To Be Productive No Matter What Shift Schedule You Are On

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How To Be Productive No Matter What Shift Schedule You Are On

I don’t know about you, but since the global lockdowns due to the pandemic, my circadian rhythm has been out of whack. One major reason is that more people are working from home and have the ability to work across different time zones. Which keeps them up very late or very early. 

Switching schedules can wreak havoc on your schedule and decrease productivity. It is advisable to stick to a consistent work schedule because our brains work best when it follows a routine. Why? Routine trumps willpower because it doesn’t require such a huge effort from you. Once you have an established routine, everything else follows a schedule – that’s why we say “it’s like clockwork.” It doesn’t take much mental energy to follow a routine, it flows easily whereas willpower is an extremely finite resource. Routine signals to your brain what it should expect thus making it easier for you to be productive and get work done.

Now that we’ve established why it’s important to have a routine in order to be productive, here are some tips to make that work for you no matter what shift schedule you’re on. 

Extend your routine to the non-work parts of your day

Having a “morning routine” signals the start of your day – whatever time that is. Having an “evening routine” signals the end of the day – whatever time that is. So if your “morning routine” includes, a quick workout or yoga flow, taking a shower, getting dressed, and making coffee, then do that to signal the start of your day – even if your shift starts at 6pm. 

Incorporate “structure” into your workday

This could mean working at the same place (a home office helps), starting and stopping work at the same time each day, having the same tools/apps ready when you log-in for work. Don’t forget to also incorporate reeks into your workflow. The Pomodoro Technique, a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo, can help you break up your day into productive intervals. 

Customize your routine to fit YOUR lifestyle

If you’re naturally more productive after having coffee, then schedule all your brain work after you’ve had time to process your first cup. If you’re prone to experiencing mental blocks in the middle of your shift, take a break, get away from your desk for a while and take a walk to clear your mind. If you’re working from home and can afford a little flexibility in your schedule, you can maybe get some errands in so that it doesn’t weigh on you the whole day.

If you extend your routine, incorporate structure into your workday, and customize your routine, you can be productive no matter what shift schedule you’re working. Do you have any tips to manage productivity even with an unpredictable work schedule or shifting schedule? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp