As COVID-19 concerns continue to mount and governing bodies recommend that businesses have employees telecommute as much as possible, working from home is happening globally. For contractors and others who work remotely on a somewhat consistent basis, it’s business as usual. But for people who have never worked remotely, this is new territory. For those people, here are some tips for how to work from home effectively, especially during this crisis where schools are canceled:

• Separate yourself – If you have a spouse, significant other, roommates or children, you need to find a quiet place to work. Find a room no one is using where you can shut the door.
  
• Make a schedule – Set working hours where you can separate yourself from everything else. If there are other people in your household, coordinate teleconferences and video conferences so that they do not overlap where possible. If you have children, plan breaks around meal times. This way you can be completely focused on work and be effective.
  
• Plan activities for your kids – When you plan your working time, plan activities for children in advance. This keeps them occupied and quiet while you are working. It may be helpful to time their activities so that you can switch them to something new in between meetings.
  
• Have good internet – Check your computer’s capabilities first, there’s no reason to change your internet if your computer isn’t going to go any faster than it already is. Having a solid connection with decent speed is essential for file sharing, downloading, etc. Also make note of who (if anyone) else is using the internet at the same time. You may want to upgrade your internet, even if on a temporary basis.
  
• Get outside for fresh air – For some people, the only time they get outside and see sunshine is during their commute. When you take that away, you still need to find time to get outside. Everyone needs the natural vitamin D provided by the sun. Vitamin D helps with mood, keeps you alert and awake, and results in more productivity at work. If it’s warm enough, open windows in your house! The fresh air will help you stay focused as well.
  
• Stick to your normal work routine – If you normally have coffee with a friend before work, have a virtual cup of coffee with them. Take your breaks at the same time, keep similar meeting times where possible. Nothing will be 100% the same when working from home, but keeping your routine as close to the same as possible will help you stay on task and remember to take breaks.
  
• Limit distractions – If you work in an open office and use headphones to tune out the din, put your headphones on at home too. Don’t try to watch TV while you work, but also understand that you will not be able to ignore your family. This is why separation is important, as well as setting boundaries so that expectations are appropriately set.
  
• Take eye breaks – Know when you’re productive and set work time appropriately. If you know you’re most productive at 10am than 10pm, then work in the morning. Don’t work at night when your eyes are strained and you’re tired from chasing children all day. Your work will suffer, your mood will suffer, and your confidence in your work will go down. Work at appropriate times and take breaks when you need to!
  
• Be willing to hop on the phone – You can lose things in translation when using only text to communicate. Some problems are easier to solve when talking in a fluid back and forth conversation as opposed to waiting for messages. Another part of this is that you lose context. Some people are sarcastic by nature, but that doesn’t always come through on text. As humans, we don’t just speak with our voices, we speak with our body language, vocal tone and facial expressions. Not to mention that we need social interaction and casual conversation to remain sane!
  
• Don’t multitask in ways you wouldn’t normally multitask – It’s okay to multitask. It’s okay to have a conversation with someone and go get a cup of coffee and make yourself a sandwich if it’s something you would normally do in the office. However, don’t go and try to reorganize your kid’s closet while having a meeting about a big strategic objective at your company. That’s something you would normally be sitting down and hyper focused on, so probably not the time to multitask.
  
• A note for the rest of the house – Working from home takes collaboration and cooperation from everyone, including all members of the same household. It needs to be made known to all parties that you have set working hours. When you are working, you separate yourself from everyone else, and everyone else has operate under the impression that you aren’t even there. The only reason to bother you should be an absolute emergency, only something they would actually call you about if you were at the office. It’s not going to happen 100% of the time, but everyone needs to make a concerted effort to have it happen.

Working from home can be difficult. What works for some may not work for others. Right now, though, it is in the best interest of all parties to limit social interaction to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19. Utilizing these tips will help you and your household work most effectively.