Tag Archives: Work From Home

May17

5 Tips To Power Up Your WFH Productivity

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5 Tips To Power Up Your WFH Productivity

The recent pandemic has resulted in major disruptions in the way we work. Lockdowns forced employees to adopt a remote working or work from home work style. What was once offered as an employee benefit or a reward for tenure, has now become a viable option or a necessary way to work. The transition was not met without difficulty as a lot of businesses struggled with transitioning from a traditional and office-based work style to a more agile one.

The good news is that we’ve learned to adapt. By now, we have learned the lessons from “the great work from home experiment” and hopefully have chosen to use the take-aways to adapt a more flexible and productive remote working setup. If you’re still working from your home office, here are 5 tips to help you boost your work from home productivity.

  1. Take responsibility for your work schedule:
    Set aside time for deep uninterrupted work and to coordinate and communicate with your co-workers. Let them know when they can expect you to be online so they know when they can reach you for questions or updates and when they should leave you alone to enjoy your personal time. Your workplace is, basically, unsupervised and would require motivation, self-discipline, and accountability from you. Set yourself up for success with a routine and a work schedule.
  2. Value your personal boundaries:
    Keep your work separate from your own personal time. Just because your home has now become your workplace, your work should not take over the entirety of your homelife.
  3. Take regular breaks between tasks:
    Don’t try to work all day without breaks. Be sure to rest your eyes, drink water, and take regular breaks to stretch in between long periods of sitting down. Remember that people work best when they perform in their best shape physically and mentally.
  4. Have a dedicated workspace:
    Just like it was back at the office, it is important to maintain a working environment that is conducive for efficiency and productivity. Carve out a nice, cool, quiet space to claim as yours. Make sure it has good lighting and great ventilation. More importantly, make sure that it exposes you to the most minimal distractions.
  5. Be mindful of your accomplishments:
    Stay motivated by being aware or making a list of what you are able to achieve at the end of each day. Isolation comes with working from home, so it is important that you keep yourself motivated and psyched for work.

Good health and peace of mind are always essential for a healthy work-life balance. Your personal well-being is just as important as your work productivity. Sometimes, it could be quite a challenge to find the right balance between the two. Hopefully, these 5 tips will help.

Do you have any tips for boosting your work from home productivity while improving your wellbeing at the same time? 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

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

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

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

Apr6

Tools You Will Need If You Want To Successfully Work From Home

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Tools You Will Need If You Want To Successfully Work From Home

Are you part of the 41.8% of the American workforce who continue to work remotely even after the government has eased up on the lockdown restrictions? Your company has probably seen the overwhelming statistics that support the benefits of working from home. Gartner projects that organizations that support a “choose-your-own-work-style” culture will boost employee retention rates by more than 10%. While Flexjobs reports that 97% of the workforce said a job with flexibility would have a huge improvement or positive impact on their overall quality of life. Buffer says that 40% of remote workers were in agreement that a flexible work schedule is the biggest benefit to working remotely. Then there’s the PGI report that states that 82% of their telecommuters reported lower stress levels. Improved quality of life – check. Less stress from the commute – check. Flexible work hours – check. Lower stress levels – check. So many benefits, that’s probably why employers have given their employees the option to keep working from home.

By now, you should already have the essential tools you need to be able to work from home. Unlike at the beginning of the pandemic when we had to go through hoops to secure company-issued laptops or have our personal laptops installed with tighter security checking tools. Here are 4 must-haves for successfully working from home. 

Desktop or Laptop

The most basic need for working from home is a computing machine so this is a must have. Get a reliable one if you don’t yet have one by now. A desktop is better if you’re in it for the long haul.

A task management system

You can use the old whiteboard method or better yet, use a digital system. Your company probably uses one already (Wrike, Trello, Asana, etc.) Just make sure you have a way to track your tasks. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself overwhelmed and just trying to put out  fires

A place to work

While the kitchen table is a perfectly good spot to work, you’re going to have to carve out space for a permanent home office. It doesn’t have to be fancy but should be enough space to hold a work desk and a comfy chair. If you live with other people, having a work area will signal that when you are in this zone, you are not to be disturbed (if only it were that easy with kids!)

A good pair of headphones

If you can afford it, get the noise-canceling ones. And get the “plug-and-play” ones, so you don’t have to tinker with ports and settings, and other whatnots. Most of your work from home life will be video conferences and collaboration calls, so a nice pair of professional headsets will reduce those “hello, can you hear me?” moments.

What are your work from home essentials? We’d love to know what your favorite tools are. 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