Right now, the whole world is on the lookout for the latest news about the recent coronavirus outbreak. With many countries going into lockdown, employers are also scrambling to see what can be done about their businesses.
Fortunately, some employees have been allowed to work from home and have potentially saved themselves from losing their income. However, the problem is — how will they adjust and avoid going crazy in the meantime?
Freelancers already know that work from home can be just as pleasing as going into the office. Still, with people going into isolation because of the coronavirus pandemic, telecommuting may become a bit tricky. No cafés, fancy lunches, and occasional strolls during the break — how will they handle it?
Luckily, working from home doesn’t have to be boring or downright depressing. With the help of the following tips, anyone could make their home the best office around!
Top 7 tips on how to successfully work from home amid the pandemic
1. Don’t let the coronavirus outbreak mess up your routine and schedule
One of the most important parts about working remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak is to stick to a simple routine. The craziness and procrastination start when people figure out that someone is paying them to stay at home. So, to avoid using that to binge on Netflix and eat all of the food supplies, maintaining the same or a bit adjusted routine is imperative.
What does this entail? Well, if someone is used to getting up at 6 AM and working from 8 AM, they should continue doing so. If they eat breakfast before going to work and grab a coffee on the way there, they should do that while they’re at home as well, in that order. The point is to maintain “business as usual” to prevent any panic from disrupting our lives even more.
2. Get out of the pajamas
Nothing feels quite like Sunday than lounging around in our pajamas and sipping on a cup of coffee for three hours. However, while there is a pandemic and you have to work from home, it’s best to dress like you are going to the office as usual.
Of course, staying comfortable is key, and no one should feel as if they have to dress up all the time. But it’s going to help us with the “business as usual” part, not to mention allow us to focus better while working. Pajamas and loungewear, in general, can make us feel too cozy, so they may distract us from doing any actual work!
3. Take breaks
Just because one is working from home during the pandemic doesn’t mean they ought to use all the free time they have to work some more. This is neither the time nor the place to try to put in some extra hours; all that stress could harm people in the end, whether they catch the virus or not.
Therefore, everyone should aim to take frequent breaks and do something interesting (or even a bit naughty!) in the meantime. Some may decide to sit on their balconies for a while and check social media. Others, on the other hand, might be more inventive and hop online to check out some sex chat rooms!
Pleasure is a great relaxant for many people, so it’s no wonder some will feel the need to engage in sexting online while they’re isolated at home. And there’s definitely nothing wrong with that! Sexting with strangers may clear our thoughts a bit, after all, and remind us that our needs ought to be fulfilled despite everything.
Plus, imagine how many other people feel the same way as you. Erotic chat rooms are soon going to be full to the brim!
4. Rely on productivity apps to avoid procrastination
Listen, when working from home, there isn’t anyone who can check up on you all day long. Because of that, it’s rather easy to fall into the procrastination mindset and keep postponing tasks because you’ve found something more interesting to do at home.
To put an end to that and make telecommuting work for you, it’s time to turn to apps. Setting up a schedule may work too, but unless you’re taking breaks as much as you should, it’ll get boring pretty soon.
Luckily, there are apps such as Pomodoro, which break up tasks into 25-minute increments with short breaks in between. Additionally, you can make it more interesting by using Forest.
This app incentivizes the amount of focus we have by letting users plant trees. They have to concentrate, as otherwise, the trees will die. But it gets even better — once they gather a decent amount of coins, they can actually use them to plant REAL trees!
5. Make your home office serene and inspiring…
While the coronavirus outbreak is still a thing, it’s best to set up an office somewhere peaceful in your home. If you have kids, there’s little chance you’ll be able to work well in the living room!
However, to make it a bit more inspiring, don’t just settle for your very basic laundry room. If that’s all you have, spruce it up a bit by making it seem more office-like. Place a calendar on the desk, get a lamp, and add a plant or two. Go wild with the decor if that’s what it takes for you to focus and get your mind off the recent events!
6. …But move around often
The beauty of working from home is that you can always change the scenery. Sometimes, it’s rather difficult to focus when you simply know that the current setting doesn’t work.
So — change it! Even moving the desk or pulling up the blinds to let more natural light in could help someone concentrate better. And if it comes to it, they can always pick another room or peaceful corner of the house. Even better, if there’s a (secluded) garden, they can even work from there!
7. Opt for video chat when you miss in-person contact
Finally, while the coronavirus outbreak is still going strong and work from home seems inevitable, we mustn’t forget to check in with our colleagues from time to time.
Most office jobs can actually be quite enjoyable because of the people we work with. And since isolation is bound to make everyone a bit lonely, video chat, such as the one offered by Zoom and MS Teams, is a great option.
At the very least, it’ll allow for some lighthearted jokes regarding the current situation, which may lift the mood a bit. What’s more, it should help you stay connected to everyone and may even boost morale among employees.
Final thoughts
The current coronavirus outbreak will change everyone’s lives, one way or another. However, there’s no reason to despair now that you have to work from home for the foreseeable future. All it takes to make the situation a bit more comfortable is to stick to a routine and make the atmosphere as office-like and productive as possible. Luckily, since there’s an app for everything these days, that won’t be too hard!
