Working From Home While Under Quarantine
If you’ve never worked from home before, chances are you have some different ideas about what to expect. Maybe you think working from home will be a fun, relaxing experience. Perhaps you believe working from home will enable you to finally complete those projects you’ve had on the back burner. Maybe you suspect working from home will be a much more casual experience than working in the office, and you might be right.
It’s important to note, however, that many professionals are surprised at just how difficult working from home can actually be. Whether you’re a writer, a graphic designer, or an IT professional, working from home brings with it many challenges. One of the biggest problems professionals have when it comes to working from home is staying focused.
It can be difficult to want to complete your work when you know that you have laundry, dishes, or other household duties you could be attending to. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to stay focused. Here’s what you need to know.
Understand Your Work Responsibilities While Under Quarantine
First, make sure you understand exactly what your work responsibilities are, as well as when any projects or reports are due. Although you may have been working at your job for years, remember that working from home can be a very different experience. Your supervisor may give you modified responsibilities or may ask you to perform different tasks than you usually do. Understanding what is expected of you can help you as you begin the process of working from home. Consider creating a schedule or planner that outlines all of your new tasks, as well as your deadlines. Staying organized is essential when it comes to maintaining your focus at home.
Review These Project Management Tools To Help With Working From Home
Create A Daily Schedule While Under Quarantine
It’s also important that you create a daily schedule. Include times for when you will perform different tasks. For example, maybe you prefer to start your day by answering emails. Schedule this. Perhaps you want to want to get in a workout before you start your day. Plan this. No matter what activities you want to do, plan them. Planning is one of the best ways you can stay focused. It’s much easier to look at the clock and realize you only have thirty minutes until your lunch break than to stare at the clock wondering whether or not you should take a break. Your schedule should reflect your current routine so that you have an easy time adjusting to staying at home. For example, if you always stop work at 5:00, try to follow that same pattern of behavior while you’re working from home.
Avoid Leaving Your Home While Under Quarantine
Avoid leaving your house to run errands while you’re working from home. If you’re quarantined, you may feel tempted to run out for a cup of coffee or go to the grocery store to see if they still have cheese available. Unfortunately, many professionals who work from home have trouble staying focused and use running errands as a way to postpone work. Even if you have a legitimate reason for leaving your house, try to get your work done first. Doing so will enable you to work with dedication and persistence.
No matter what type of position you hold, remember that your job is important, but so is your mental health. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or you simply cannot focus no matter how hard you try, consider going for a short walk or taking a small nap. Exercise will help you reset your mind and your emotions and can help you as you sit down to work.
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Working from home is great as long as you have the discipline to get the work done at home with the multitude of distractions that most people have. I find it’s good practice to have a separate home office that is closed off from the rest of the house to maintain a diligent working environment.