How to Stay Productive While Quarantined at Home
DURING THIS CURRENT GLOBAL PANDEMIC, MOST OF THE COUNTRY'S WORKFORCE HAS EITHER BEEN LAID OFF FROM WORK, OR ADVISED TO WORK FROM HOME. WHILE THIS CAN BE A DRASTIC CHANGE IN ROUTINE FOR MANY PEOPLE, THERE ARE WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME.
Below are tips on how to make the most of your time at home:
KEEP A DAILY ROUTINE
In an article published on FastCompany.com, the author, Elizabeth Grace Saunders, recommends "setting your hours." Basically, if you treat your days and nights as if you have normal work hours during the day, and you are preparing for work the next morning, you will be more likely to stick to daily tasks.
For example, if your normal work shift goes from 8:30am-5:00pm, make sure you are up and getting ready with enough time to be sitting at your workspace by 8:30am. This will help your sleep schedule by keeping a routine, which will in turn make it easier to work during the hours you normally would.
If it helps you get into the mindset, putting on clothes you would normally wear to work may also put you in the right head space, and is especially helpful if you are participating in video chat sessions with your coworkers.
HAVE A DESIGNATED WORK SPACE
While working from home, it can definitely be tempting to work from bed or the couch. As pointed out by an article on Time.com, by Patrick Lucas Austin, staying productive while working from home is all about "location, location, location."
When in a place like your bed or on the couch, it can be easy to slip into a relaxed or restful mindset, which can reduce productivity. If you have a home office or a desk, this would be a great place to separate work from home in a way, which can lead to greater productivity. If you don't have a desk or designated home office, working at the dining room table is a way to simulate a desk and can keep you away from distractions such as the TV.
LIMIT DISTRACTIONS
As mentioned above, the TV can be a huge distraction that can hinder productivity while working from home. Ways to combat this are to work in a space where you are not facing the TV, or are in a different room altogether. This can limit the temptation of taking an extended break or getting out of a productive mind space.
Most people these days have smartphones or tablets, so if you are not using these for work, it's best to keep them face down or on silent while doing work. Treat it like you're actually at work and how much personal screen time would be acceptable there.
If you are using your phone or tablet for work tasks, or even your laptop or desktop computer, a way to limit distractions could be to log into your work Chrome account if that is possible. Google Chrome can sync bookmarks and browsing history on specific Chrome login accounts. If this is accessible to you, this could be a good way to limit the temptation of checking social media while working, because you might not have the login information saved on your work Chrome account. Plus, seeing all the work-related bookmarks at the top of your browser page can help keep you in work mode.
ABOVE ALL, TRY NOT TO GET DISCOURAGED
This time in our lives is unprecedented for most of our lifetimes. Try not to lose sight that life will get back to normal soon enough, as long as we practice social distancing and follow the CDC and WHO guidelines. Try to enjoy this time in your life as much as possible, while we have the time to reset at home. Enjoy time with your family or whoever you are quarantined with. We will get through this, together.
*Please keep in mind that Hannah is not an expert. These are tips that are based on opinion and outside research. Please take Hannah's suggestions with a grain of salt. Most importantly, stay safe everyone!*
- By Hannah Fitzgerald, Dreissig Apparel Inc.
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