How to keep yourself happy and productive if you’re working from home because of the coronavirus outbreak
October 6, 2020
At least eight US states — including New York, Kentucky, Maryland, Utah, and Oregon — have declared states of emergency amid the growing coronavirus outbreak, in addition to the city of San Francisco.
As governments and companies brace for possible local outbreaks, more employees are likely to choose to work from home.
While remote work has obvious benefits, it’s not all fun and games. In reality, working remotely requires discipline and can come with its share of loneliness. Remote workers are more likely than their in-office counterparts to report feeling overly stressed at work, and to struggle with maintaining a healthy work-life balance, according to a 2019 Airtasker survey of more than 1,000 professionals.
We spoke with several professionals who work remotely to get their firsthand insight on how they manage to stay afloat in their work setups. Here are their best tips to keeping yourself relaxed and engaged if you work remotely.
“Running a real-estate brokerage in Miami, there are certainly a lot of distractions that can take you away from work,” Mikael Hamaoui, president at Riviera Horizons Realty, told Business Insider.
“I have a dedicated area in my home that is for work only. It’s critical to separate work from personal, or it’s too easy to find yourself on the couch watching TV. It’s imperative that anyone working from home create a dedicated work space that is free of distractions so you can stay in work mode even when you’re at home — and try not to go to your home office outside of working hours and vice versa to really keep that separation.”
“It’s important to have a morning ritual that helps you gain focus and clarity about your goals for that day,” Serena Poon, a chef and nutritionist, told Business Insider. “I start mine with meditation, my gratitude list, and affirmative thoughts before I get out of bed.”
“The thing that keeps me sane while working remotely is having a set schedule,” Kara Luton, an engineer at CrowdStrike, told Business Insider. “I wake up at the same time every day, jump in the shower, and get ready just like I would if I was going to an office.”
“I know how much fun it is to hang out in athleisure or pajamas all day because I did it for years, but when I started getting dressed, a strange thing happened,” Lindsay Anvik, keynote speaker and business coach told Business Insider. “Because I was prepared to have a last-minute meeting, coffee, or video chat, my business saw the benefits.”
She added: “Before, I would turn down last-minute lunches or meetings because I literally wasn’t dressed, and by 2 o’clock it’s hard to find the motivation to change for one thing. Don’t get me wrong, I still wear slippers around the house, and will sometimes throw on a college sweatshirt instead of a button-down blouse, but if I need to, I can be out the door in five minutes. Hair is blown dry and makeup is done. I feel put together because I am together.”
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