As the COVID-19 outbreaks are continuing to spread around the country, more and more offices are closing and are beginning to work remotely. For many, this is a weird transition, but luckily for those in the creative field, you can finish the job just as successfully. Whether you’re excited to work from the comfort of your couch, or you’re upset about missing out on the office chats, here are 7 tips to stay productive while working from home.
Get out of your pajamas – You’re probably thinking to yourself – ‘I can stay in my pajamas all day. I’m not leaving my house and I don’t have to dress to impress anyone’. Although you’re not wrong, it’s important to dress in daytime clothes rather than pajamas because being in the comfort of your clothes that you wear to sleep can make you feel lazy and sleepy. You don’t have to dress down to the 9’s, but make sure you are wearing clothes that you would feel comfortable in when stepping out of the house.
Find a productive work corner – The couch may seem like the perfect place to get work done, but it can be distracting because it’s your designated area to relax. Find an area in your house to work at, whether it’s a desk or the kitchen counter, to create for yourself. Setting up a space for you to get organized and stay focused will help you be as productive as you would be in work, rather than working in a space that’s meant for lounging and leisure.
Organize your thoughts and tasks in a daily planner – Working from home can be difficult because of distractions like your phone, the TV, pets, and other people that are home with you. Keeping a planner with your organized thoughts in a to-do list will help you stay on track from all of the interferences from working at home. If you’re in need of a planner and stores aren’t closed for social distancing reasons, you’ll find the best luck at HomeGoods, Barnes and Noble and Anthropologie!
Define your “workday” hours – Probably the hardest part about working from home is distinguishing what time is dedicated to work and what time is dedicated to chores and relaxing. Treat working remotely like an average workday; set up hours throughout the day you want to dedicate to working and keep the other hours of the day open to do what you want. For example, define your workday as working from 8AM – 4PM with an hour for lunch in-between. Along with your lunch break, yourself 15-20-minute breaks every so often to lessen a change of burning out and to help promote productivity.
Communicate your schedule with your quarantine buddies – If you frequently have meetings and conference calls at work, communicate effectively with the people that are also home with you. It can be frustrating to have distractions in the background of business calls, so explain to your quarantine buddies that you need to work quietly and in privacy during phone calls. This will make sure no one is frustrated and phone calls will be made more effectively.
Stay connected – It may be a lot harder to get in touch with those in your office because if you have to ask them a question, you can no longer walk over to them. Make sure to stay connected with the people you work with, whether that’s by having check-in conference calls, creating a work group chat through Slack, or exchanging phone numbers to stay in touch.
Go for a walk – Unfortunately, you don’t have the freedom to walk around your office and it may feel stuffy sitting inside of your house all day. During your ‘lunch break’ or during any other small breaks in the day, take a short walk around your neighborhood. Not only is it important for your brain to have blood flowing, but it is important to get away from your screen for a few minutes, get fresh air, and refresh your mind.
Clutch is a creative staffing partner. We connect digital, creative, and marketing professionals with companies looking for freelance, temp-to-hire or direct hire resources.
