As of March 19th, 2020, there are over 207,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the world. With such a threat, workplaces are now mandating their employees to work from home.
If you've never done so before, or don't have much experience with it, then you may be at a loss
If you're not sure how to work from home effectively during the coronavirus outbreak, then keep reading. We're here with some helpful tips to help you along.
2. Setup a Second Line for Business
6. Know How to Work From Home Productively
Set up a Workstation
Just because you're working from home doesn't necessarily mean you should lie around in bed. It may feel comfortable, but you'll soon feel pain and soreness all across your body.
Plus, you're not in the best headspace for working either. Considering the bed (and bedroom) is somewhere where you relax and rest, turning it into a workspace can negatively impact your life.
For instance, simply being in your bed (and bedroom by default) puts you in a different mindset. Your brain is ready to drift off to sleep or veg out to a TV show. This can significantly impact how efficiently you work.
Also, the opposite may happen. Your brain might start associating the bed with work, so when you lie down to sleep, you'll find yourself plagued with insomnia.
The best way to keep up your productivity and maintain good quality of sleep is to set up a home workstation. Work at an ergonomic desk and have an office chair that'll support your body for the whole day.
If you're using a laptop, consider plugging in a mouse, keyboard, and monitor. This can keep you from getting hunched up while you stare at that small screen all day.
Setup a Second Line for Business
Now that you're working from home, you need a way to receive calls that you'd normally get at the office. You probably don't have a landline anymore, so all you have is your personal mobile phone.
But receiving work calls on it can compromise your personal privacy. So what can you do to mitigate this disadvantage?
Sign up for an iPlum account. iPlum can provide you with a second phone line, which comes with its own calling, texting, and voicemail. This means you can forward all office calls to this number, which is put right on your existing cell phone.
This second phone line costs less than $10 per month with the same carrier-class reliability, which means you can easily afford it. Or, your employer can easily afford to get second lines for their employees.
With an iPlum account, you can get the same level of productivity as you had in the office while conveniently keeping your personal and business lives separate.[coll_smart_padding min="4" max="4"] [video_lightbox_youtube video_id="z2m_rw4ZIGE?autoplay=1&rel=0" width="960" height="540" anchor="https://iplum.com/wp-content/uploads/SecondLineBusiness_Play.png"][coll_smart_padding min="8" max="8"]
Create a Schedule
This can be very beneficial if you don't live alone and have family members around you while you're practicing social distancing.
Because you're working from home, your husband and kids may think that they can bug you at any time they wish. This can really mess up your concentration and productivity, so it's important to create a schedule and stick to it.
Make sure the schedule is clear for everyone and in a place where they can all access it; this can either be in an online document and/or a printout taped up on the wall. Everyone should understand when they can't bother you and respect that.
Having a schedule while they're out of school can be beneficial for your kids too. You can keep up a normal schedule and discipline so they don't end up treating this period as a vacation.
Make Sure to Take Breaks
When you're at the office, everyone usually takes a break around 12:00 pm to eat and socialize. You also get up to grab a snack and talk with coworkers every once in a while. This gives your brain a small break and a chance for you to replenish your energy.
But when you're at home, you most likely have no one around. Hours can whiz by without you knowing it, and it can quickly become 5:00 pm in a flash.
It can be helpful to set a timer on your phone for various periods of the day. Each time it goes off, take a walk around the room, grab a glass of water, and do some stretches.
These small breaks will do wonders for breaking up the monotony and taking your mind off being stuck at home.
Know When to Stop Working
Some of us are workaholics but find it simple to stop working at 5:00 pm because we need to return home to eat, do chores, and/or be with our loved ones.
But when you're working from home, you have nowhere to go, especially during this coronavirus outbreak. So your brain may push you to keep working. And with nothing else to do, you might easily succumb to this.
But this is how many people suffer from burnout. When they can't separate work from their personal life, they get so entrenched in it that eventually, their brain can't take it anymore.
To prevent this from happening, practice some discipline and shut off your computer right at 5:00 pm. If it's too challenging to do, maybe have a loved one call you every day at that time so you have to tear yourself away from work.
Know How to Work From Home Productively
You may not have known how to work from home in an efficient manner before. But now, you have all the information needed to do so in a productive way.
Make sure to use all our tips. But also remember to take lots of breaks. That way, you'll keep your mind fresh and your muscles won't cramp up or get sore.[coll_smart_padding min="4" max="8"]
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