Working from home can be a challenge when you are not familiar with it, and since the impact of COVID-19 has forced many of us from the office or store front to set up work at home, here’s our top tips to keep focused and help keep your business on track during lockdown.
• Get dressed!! We know it might be tempting to stay in your P’J’s all day, but if you dress as though you are going in to the office/store, it mentally puts you in the right headspace to work.
• Establish routine. What time you start the day, when you break for lunch, and what time your day ends. This will help keep you focused and productive. If your regular day pre lockdown would normally include the gym or grabbing a coffee from the cafe, then replace this with a jog around your neighbourhood or brew your own coffee and sit in your garden before the start of your day. By sticking to your pre-Covid work routine as much as possible, this will help you adjust quicker and keep you motivated.
• Childcare. With schools & daycares closed many of you are balancing the kids and working from home. If you live with a partner, set up an agreement where you watch them in the morning whilst they work, and then swap for the afternoon. Or set the kids up in the morning with an activity or device time whilst you work, and then after lunch is family fun time.
• Keep your workspace tidy and clutter-free. Not everyone has the luxury of a home office, so if you are working from your laptop, try and set up a dedicated work area. Sitting down in the same, clean place each day will help maintain the focus of ‘going to work’.
• Keep communication open. Set up a video call app, such as zoom and talk to your staff, business and trade suppliers as you would normally. If you normally work in a busy environment filled with people, then working from home can suddenly feel very lonely and the isolation can feel daunting. So set up chat channels, keep talking to one another. If your staff don’t have any at home work to do, maybe ask them to do some isolation stories for social media, or ‘get to know the staff behind the scenes’.
Have we missed anything, if you have anything to add, we would love you to join the conversation on Instagram @shootandswoon
