First, the schools closed. Then the malls shut down. Then employers everywhere asked their workers to adapt “flexible work arrangements” where possible. That means, working from home. For many who are working in the gig economy, this arrangement is not new. But there is a surprising number of people who are dealing with this work from home situation for the first time. 

Working from home affords us some degree of flexibility and control over our work schedule. It also presents tons of distractions in the form of chores, kids, pets, or meal preparations (especially if you love to cook). Some of the challenges that affect productivity when working from home include having less accountability and limited communication compared to working from the office. However, it is easier for people who are working from home to get into deep work (which is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task). Here are some tips to hack your productivity while working from home.

Have a dedicated workspace:

Sure, your kitchen table can work in a pinch. But it takes time to clear up your “office” each and every mealtime. So, it’s better to have a dedicated workspace. Ideally, this space should be free of distractions. The three biggest temptations are: the bed, the fridge, and the tv. Stay away from them.

Get yourself some organizers:

Make sure that your office is free of clutter. Clutter is visual noise. It distracts you and interferes with your focus, thus reducing productivity. So have a place for everything and keep everything in its place. Clear your desk of things that you don’t immediately need, like: copy paper, folders, pins, staplers, staple wires, paperclips, highlighters, magnets, or extra batteries. Only keep your essentials: laptop, headset, charger, favorite pen, and a notepad. You don’t even have to buy organizers. You can repurpose tins, cans, boxes, and trays to use for organizing your office supplies. 

Keep a regular schedule:

Working from home gives people a lot of flexibility. However, not sticking to a work schedule is doing yourself a disservice. You might be tempted to do a wash load or clean your bathroom in the middle of the day. If you set a regular work schedule for yourself, you can easily track when your workday ends and your personal time begins. In choosing to block a time for work, consider when your managers and colleagues will be available and what your most productive hours are. 

Schedule regular breaks:

To stay productive, you need to take meaningful breaks. Breaks help prevent decision fatigue, restore motivation, increase creativity, and improve learning. They are important to keep a healthy balance and to feel refreshed. Set alarms for regular breaks. You can take a break for meals, coffee, some minor chores, or even go out for a quick walk (while practicing social distancing, of course).

Do you have any expert tips on how to stay productive while working from home? Let us know in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Companies have now adopted the flexible work arrangement for their employees. This means that most people who aren’t absolutely required to go to the office, are mandated by their employees to work from their homes. Working from home makes people feel like they have more control over their workday. We feel like we finally have more time for ourselves because we’ve done away with the long commute and virtually cut short the time it takes to get ready to go to work. 

By this time, excitement over the novelty of working from home has already worn out. Most of my colleagues who are new to working from home are already complaining about suddenly feeling overwhelmed, tired, and uneasy. They tell me that their days have bled into one big, never-ending day. I tell them that’s common. I tell them they might have experienced that feeling before. I tell them that they’re probably experiencing burnout. Collective gasp.

They’re always surprised to know that you can get burnt out, even when you’re working from home. But burnout happens when you face elevated levels of stress over a long period of time. Such as the stress we’re all under due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The abrupt disruption in our lifestyle and social isolation can affect both your mental and physical health. Here are some of the common culprits that can lead to work from home burn out:

Blurred lines

Most burn out stems from a lack of work-life balance, which, in real life, is extremely hard to achieve. Top this up with adopting a work from home arrangement, and it makes it harder to achieve that balance. Why? Because there are no forced boundaries that help separate your work from your personal life. The lack of boundaries makes it more convenient to go from professional to personal activities. Nothing’s stopping you from doing a pile of laundry while you’re waiting for that download to come through. 

The solution: have a set work schedule and set hard stops for yourself. Pick a block of time for work and focus on doing only work during those times. Of course, you should also do the same for personal time.

The social network

Working from home can be isolating, even if you’re with family. Having interaction with colleagues can break up the monotony and the pressures of family life. That also works vice-versa. Keeping in touch with officemates is harder when you work from home. Sometimes, due to technological restrictions, interactions are limited to instant messages and chats. Work from home employees also finds it difficult not to get real-time feedback on their work assignments and feel like they need more direction when they’re working from home as opposed to working at the office.

The solution: be deliberate about reaching out to colleagues and managers for help and for real-time feedback. Ask for a meeting with your manager so that you can let them know how you’re tracking with work.

How’ve you been loving working from home so far? Got any tips for people who are starting to get burnt out? Let us know in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Taking vitamins, wearing facemasks, hand washing and using alcohol or hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes and sprays help protect us from catching the virus and spreading the disease to anyone in our immediate vicinity. While it is always a good idea to take prudent measures to protect ourselves, we should also take the same measures for protecting others. This is now our duty to one another. 

Here are some measures we can take to protect ourselves and our community:

Social distancing

We can’t stress this enough. Social distancing can help stop the spread of the virus and flatten the curve. While most of us think that social distancing means isolating ourselves, it actually means keeping a safe physical distance (about 6 feet of space) from other people. That means you have to avoid coming into direct contact with others, avoid crowds, gatherings, and non-essential travel. Remember that some people can be asymptomatic, this means they can carry and spread the virus without showing symptoms themselves. 

There are other things you can do to still be “social” without having to be closer than 6 feet. You can organize video chats with friends, call family members, and have “virtual” after-work drinks with colleagues from your home. You can attend group classes online or even have dance parties with your neighbors but from inside your respective houses.

Practice good hygiene

We’re not only required now to wash our hands often but to do it consciously. The CDC recommends washing your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially if you’ve been out in public. If soap and water aren’t available, you can use alcohol or hand sanitizer to clean your hands. 

Avoid touching your face. The virus can get into your system through body openings, so avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose. Especially if you came from crowded places such as a grocery or food shop. 

Surgical and N95 masks should always be reserved for those working the frontlines. But we can also protect ourselves with a facemask. The CDC recommends that we should at least have a cloth face cover when we go out in public. So, when you go out for supplies, please make sure to wear one.

Always cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. A cough or sneeze can propel droplets into the air and can carry on for a few meters away. Sneeze or cough into a tissue or the inside of your elbow, if a tissue is not available. Immediately throw that tissue away and sanitize your hands. 

Sanitize

Get into the habit of sanitizing frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs, light switches, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and bag handles. Use disinfectant wipes or EPA registered household disinfectants. To clean and sanitize household surfaces, the CDC recommends mixing 1 cup of bleach to 5 gallons of water. You can decant some into a spray bottle so that it’s easier to use. 

How are you keeping your loved ones and your community safe? What are your tips? Let us know in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

The global pandemic has all of us on edge and facing stress and uncertainty. Many of us are cooped up at home, only sporadically going out to get supplies or other essentials. Many who are new to the working from home environment might start to feel “cabin fever as the social isolation is starting to set in. 

What are the vest coping strategies to cope with this period of isolation? Here are a few tips:

Stick to a schedule.

Even though you are at home, there has to be some structure to your day. Block off a regular time slot for work and for personal self-care activities like exercise and relaxation. Start the day with a routine. Your day might start by doing some light exercise, doing some meditation, eating breakfast, and taking a shower. Resist the temptation to work in your pajamas and put effort into dressing up for work. 

Stay active, move!

Speaking of doing some light exercise try to stay active while doing self-quarantine. Not everyone has a treadmill at home, and you’re lucky if you have one or any form of exercise machine at home. However, you can always go to youtube for exercise inspiration that would not require any exercise equipment. Some exercise uses bodyweight instead of specialized equipment. You can even improvise by using ordinary household items, like water bottles or cans, instead of weights. 

Stay connected.

The only way to combat isolation is to stay connected. Although you won’t be able to visit friends or family during these times, you can always use technology to keep in touch. Call a friend and ask them how they are doing. Call your parents and ask if they need anything. Teach your older friends or family members to use video conferencing services. That in itself is a fun activity and is bound to make everyone laugh. Have text or instant messaging breaks in a day. Respond to social media posts or posts your own insights or funny/inspirational pictures.

Self-care, always.

Create a list of go-to self-care activities that you know are sure to lift your spirits. This will be your go-to list for the bad days or even when you just need a quick pick me up. Master a recipe or explore a new one. Play with your pets. Take a long hot bath. Start a new book. Learn to knit or sew. Create things with your hands. Start a writing project or an art project. Make like Marie Kondo and clean out your closet. Start a jigsaw puzzle. Do yoga. Watch a funny series or some kid’s cartoons. Find ways to keep yourself occupied or embrace alone time. Whatever your go-to self-care activity is, always show compassion and kindness for yourself. We are all experiencing anxiety to some degree. Know that you are not alone in this.

What are your tips on how to combat the feeling of isolation? Let us know in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp