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8 Work at Home Tips – COVID-19 Crisis
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Are you having to work from home because of our COVID-19 crisis? Your answer is probably yes.
While some people, such as freelancers, want to work at home and do so intentionally, you may not want to work at home at all. You might really enjoy your office environment, your coworkers, your routine and just getting out of the house. But for right now you’re going to have to work at home.
Working from home can be a really good way to work. For millions of freelancers including myself, it is an excellent way – actually, the best way – to work.
Working at home may be the new normal forever, or it may be temporary. We don’t know. Whatever the case, the reality is that right now because of coronavirus, you have to work from home.
I’ve always worked at home as a freelancer- except when I was traveling the world and freelancing – and I’ve got lots of advice for you about how to do this. Here are 8 tips to help you work at home during our COVID-19 crisis.
8 Work-at-Home Tips
During Our COVID-19 Crisis
1. Focus on focusing – Working at home means that you will be exposed to a whole host of distractions you didn’t have to deal with when working in an office. The comforts of home are a wonderful thing, but don’t let yourself get too comfortable with them while you’re trying to get your work done. As much as you can, think like you’re still working in an office. You can read my other tips to help you focus and concentrate better when you work at home here.
2. Create a good work space – Since your regular office probably wasn’t too comfortable and homey, don’t dive right into your favorite relaxation spot at home and expect to get your work done. Set up a space that’s more austere so it will remind you of an office. Here you’ll be less prone to think relaxation thoughts and more able to think work thoughts.
3. Improve your productivity skills – It can definitely be a challenge to get as much work accomplished from the comfort of your home as you would in an office. You don’t have a choice currently, though, so you’re going to have to be productive at home.
Your frame of mind very much impacts your productivity. When you have a positive frame of mind, it can be a lot easier to be productive than when you’re feeling negative. You can read more about how positivity impacts productivity in this article I wrote here.
4. Compartmentalize – While it is of course completely natural to compartmentalize work life and home life when you work outside the home, now that COVID-19 has you working at home, compartmentalization is going to be a challenge.
If you have enough room in your home, set up a dedicated office space in a room with a door. Imitate your regular office space as closely as possible to keep you in a work frame of mind while you’re trying to work. Tell your family or roommates that you cannot be bothered while you’re working. They’re probably working at home now too, so they should hopefully understand.
5. Take care of your physical health – Health is one of the most important things in the world, a fact which is being very much highlighted during this incredibly unique time in history.
If you were someone who spent part of your lunch hour working out, keep doing that. Maybe you had other ways of keeping active and taking care of your health during your office hours. Don’t stop now. Keep it up.
If you didn’t make an effort to help your health at the office, start doing so now. Go outside for short walks. Take a break and lift some weights if you have any in the house. Don’t just sit when you take breaks from your work. Move around to keep your blood and oxygen flowing so you can bolster your health.
The paperback book Work at Home by Caitlin Pyle has lots of work-at-home tips. You can order a free copy right here.
6. Take care of your mental health – Mental health is often important to work success. Do what you need to do to keep yourself in a good frame of mind while you’re working at home for COVID-19.
If you’re struggling with your mental health for whatever reason – whether you were before all of this began happening or whether you are now because all of this is happening – do not be shy about asking for help. If you don’t have a trusted confidant you can talk to, reach out to a professional.
7. Continuing socializing (just not in person) – Maybe you really enjoyed socializing with your coworkers during office hours. Ask if they want to connect with you on WhatsApp, LinkedIn or Facebook. You can message each other a bit during the day to instill a sense of normalcy, and you can keep more closely in touch in general.
8. Keep your stress at bay – if you’re feeling stress with your new work-at-home situation, there are many tricks you can use.
Try drinking less caffeine. Cut down the cups of coffee you drink or better yet, mix decaf coffee with your regular coffee. This will help you feel not so wired. Breathe deeply throughout the day. Listen to soothing music. Meditate and do yoga. Do what you need to do to keep your new work-at-home reality as stress free and anxiety free as you can.
Millions of freelancers all over the world work at home. We do this, and you can too.
You can take a quick break from all the frightening talk in the world these days with these humorous memes about working at home in the era of coronavirus.
Are you new to working at home because of coronavirus? Let me know in the comments how it’s going for you.
Sabina Lohr is a lifelong freelancer turned entrepreneur who created World of Freelancers to help others discover how to work for themselves online and live the freelance lifestyle. She’s always really enjoyed the freedom that freelancing brings, including several years on and off of working online while traveling and living abroad.
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