5 Tips to Transitioning to Work from Home (during COVID-19)
By Nada Steighner, MS, Employment & Training Specialist
When we think about working from home, it usually brings images of working in your pajamas or carrying your laptop to your local eatery and getting things done. It also typically brings feelings of relaxation, flexibility, and freedom. However, now that we are practicing social distancing in an effort to flatten the curve, working from home may look and feel differently. Realistically, it has brought a new set of challenges, such as figuring out childcare, supporting family members or friends who may be sick, and/or dealing with a partner who is out of work.
Whether you’re new to working from home or you’re someone who has experience teleworking but is having a hard time adjusting, here are five tips to help make your transition easier:
1: Acknowledge that this is an unprecedented time
Try to embrace a “day by day” approach to your thinking. It's easy to get caught up in panicking and reading stories about the rise in the number of confirmed cases, which can make it difficult to concentrate on work. Additionally, you may be juggling personal and professional responsibilities that you were not prepared for, which can be overwhelming. It is best to be flexible, patient, and open-minded - and focus on the things you can manage instead of the things that are out of your control.
2: Develop a communication plan
If you haven’t already done so, check in with your company to see if they have a telework plan in place and follow those guidelines. This will set the tone about what is expected from your employer.
What’s your plan? If a tentative plan is in place or there is no plan at all, you might want to request a meeting with your team or manager (by phone or video conference) to draft specific tasks and responsibilities you will be working on at home. You’ll want to include deadlines, how you will know when your goals are accomplished, and/or if you will have responsibilities outside of your typical job duties.
Communicate challenges. Again, this is an unprecedented time that brings its own set of unique challenges from the usual work from home schedule. With that being said, you will want to communicate with your support system to see if any issues that arise can be managed around your work schedule. If not, you will want to communicate with your employer to see if they will allow you to have a flexible schedule. In addition to childcare, challenges may also include unreliable or slow internet connection, application software not working, or not having the proper equipment to work from home. Whenever possible, it is best to communicate proactively about these challenges.
3: Focus on goal setting and boundaries
Work Plan. After you’ve established your job responsibilities, you’ll want to designate working hours where you are not interrupted and incorporate designated breaks. Breaks allow you to move around, address minor family needs if necessary, and also act as rewards. These breaks should probably not be longer than 15 minutes unless that’s part of your working schedule.
To-Do List. Several thought leaders suggest after identifying your responsibilities and establishing a work plan, you should write a to-do list each night to accomplish the following day. This helps keep you focused and breaks down your tasks, making them easier to accomplish.
Work Schedule and Mindset. While working from home, it will be helpful to maintain boundaries between your personal and professional responsibilities. It’s best if you’re able to keep the same structure and mindset as if you’re going to work. That might include taking a shower, getting dressed, and doing whatever other tasks you would normally do before you head to work.
Work Space. Designate a working space. This might include an office, an unused room, or another place in the house where you can close the door and minimize distractions. If you don’t have a room, create a space where you can work and have all necessary materials at your fingertips.
Setting Boundaries. This is a transition for everyone involved, so it’s a best practice to communicate your work from home needs with everyone who is living in your household. Remember to be patient and reinforce boundaries. A fun activity you can do with your children is to make signs to let them know how busy you are. For instance, you can make a sign to hang outside your work space to indicate when you’re on a phone call or Zoom conference, working on a big project, or when you are available to handle minor interruptions.
4: Stay connected
Typically, working from home tends to be more isolating than going to work but now that most of us are practicing social distancing, it’s even harder to stay connected.
Professionally, you might want to plan check-in dates with your team and/or manager. However, you might also want to discuss checking in with them on an informal level, if you feel comfortable doing so. This is a challenging time for all of us and it’s very important for everyone to feel connected and appreciated. You can do this from a distance by sending emails with words of affirmation, uplifting quotes, family pictures of telework life, or funny work-appropriate memes. This is also a good time to take free webinars or to research any online groups or forums that will increase your subject matter expertise or expand your professional network.
5: Practice self-care
Last but not least, it is important during this time to take care of yourself. One of the silver linings to working from home is the ability to have time to improve your self-care. Some ideas include meditating or self-reflection, reading books/articles, listening to podcasts/audiobooks/tutorials, taking online classes or webinars, spending time with your family or making the effort to connect with them over the phone or virtually, exercising, and/or getting things done around the house.
Hopefully, by taking these steps it will not only prepare you for a smoother transition to working from home but it will also serve as a recharge when you do finally head back to the office.
References and More Info: