Homelife and Remote Work: The New Normal

Homelife and Remote Work: The New Normal

If you are working from home and receiving a paycheck during this pandemic, consider yourself lucky despite your confinement to one place. Most of us haven’t had the experience of our personal and work lives forcibly intertwine due to a large-scale public health emergency. Remote work is not something new to our society but is becoming a ‘new normal’ as office complexes, factories, and other businesses operate remotely or entirely close.

There are good things that come from being at home, like connecting with family and reorganizing our living spaces. But there are also new stresses as adjustments to combine work life and home life into one cohesive experience are made. If you’re having a hard time adjusting, perhaps the following ideas will help you create a home and work-life balance:

Create a workspace without physical distractions. You must create a place that is conducive to work and free of clutter, noise, or anything else that may distract you. If you need to clean out your space by removing items, do it before you start trying to work each day.

Be mindful of noise. Closing your workspace door during working hours can help eliminate distracting sounds coming from other parts of the house. You may also find that listening to soft music enables you to concentrate better on your work.

Schedule working hours and remember to take breaks. Stay focused by taking breaks, filling up your coffee cup, or walking outside or around the house to stretch your body. Remote workers tend to work out of traditional business hours, so remember to define your work and home life hours stick to them.

Stay connected to your work family and clients. Isolation from others can distract your productivity if you start to feel lonely. Reaching out to co-workers and clients by phone or video conferencing can help you stay connected while social distancing continues.

Replicate your office work tool’s arrangement at home.  Be mindful of the placement of your computer and other devices you need to do your work or enjoy having close. If your desk has a photo, choose another photo and place it in the same area of your workspace. Even the placement of pens can help your mind mirror the similarity of your work environment and push you into work mode.

Schedule your workday. Keep a calendar and schedule times for tasks you intend to complete each day, along with your breaks. Productivity at home should mirror the productivity you have at your office.

Get out of bed and be present. Stick to the same waking time and groom as you would if you were going to the office. You don’t need to wear a suit at home but wearing pajamas all day isn’t helping you adapt to working from home. Prepare yourself each day to go to work just like you did before the pandemic.

Taking time to create a space that nurtures you to be productive is essential for your emotional well-being. Remember that this pandemic will pass and reflect on what you have learned because of it. Enjoy your time at home and be grateful for your work, even if it’s cleaning out your closet.

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