#COVID19 is closing fast on all of us. It is impacting on our personal and professional lives in ways that we are only starting to get to grips with, and in ways that we can’t even see or contemplate yet. In this period of uncertainty, it’s important to create certainty and routine where at all possible.

For many of us, working from home is a new experience, so mindset is key to managing the situation, promoting productivity and keeping motivated.

Here are a few tips for working from home:

  1. Get up as close to your regular time as possible. Granted if you are used to doing long commutes, you’ll have a bit of a lie in, but otherwise, plan to get up as normal and get your day started.
  2. Get dressed: go smart casual. It will help get you into the right mindset.  Avoid super casual (unless this is your normal work wear) and do not work in your PJs.  You don’t need to dress in a suit or heels, but you do want to feel and act in as professional a manner as possible.
  3. Prepare your lunch early in the day, possibly at breakfast time and make sure to eat healthily.
  4. Set up a work area. Highline Office Technology/Safes&Shredders.ie is offering short term rentals for office equipment, so if you need a printer, scanner, shredder or any other office equipment, we can offer a week rental, two week rental or whatever is needed to tide you over this difficult period.
  5. Take breaks: we are always more productive and creative when we give our brains space to rest, reset and calibrate.
  6. Move: this is normal advice that we know anyhow, but probably don’t really take heed of. Well, working from home, is going to mean that you need space and fresh air. Don’t forget to do so.  If you think you’ll forget, schedule breaks and move-time into your diary.
  7. Set goals and tasks to be achieved: aim for three things to be accomplished in your day. You’ll get a sense of achievement and it won’t seem so overwhelming.
  8. Stay connected. Keep in touch with your team wherever possible. Keep in touch with clients. Discuss collaboratively and keep the feeling of being a part of your office. Invest in a video/speaker phone to facilitate this.  Make use of technology such as GoToMeeting, Zoom, WebEx.
  9. Finish on time. Try to keep to your regular hours.  Keep the routine.

We are sure there are many more tips out there to help others who are #WorkingFromHome for the first time. Please share them so we can help each other manage and navigate these difficult times. They will pass, so let’s work together to do it positively, with grace and resilience.

We are at the other end of the phone or email if we can be of assistance. We have a great team who are ready to answer your questions and help you with any of your technical or business queries. Click here to contact us.