By Dorothy Rogers-Bullis
I’ve had so many calls over the last two weeks from clients preparing to work from home. drb Business Interiors is known for designing and furnishing the most productive spaces to work in, and now is doing so for clients conducting “business and school out of the home” sessions for the next few months.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the new work space standard calls for multiple workspaces for multiple types of work. From the business professional who needs to conduct Zoom calls throughout the day, to the children who are being homeschooled, all are sharing the same home and space. It can get very stressful just to find a productive space to work, especially in your own home.
It’s important to plan when you work remotely. Here are some tips:
• Test your technology and plan ahead for all logistics. Do you have all your necessary tools? Cords, headset, mouse? Have you tested all your technology? Does Zoom work? How do you look to others? What is your backdrop? There is much to consider here.
• Your new Space. Consider the setting. Where will you conduct ‘work’? Make sure it will have the least amount of distractions possible. If natural light is available, it is recommended to have a window and a green plant on your workstation
• Structuring your day. Spouses, roommates and children. Have a planning meeting the evening before to go over schedules. With multiple workers in the same house it’s important to know who is needing quiet times for meeting calls.
• Consider you daily rituals. Do whatever it takes to ‘be at work’. This means getting dressed in presentable work attire. You will get a lot more work accomplished if you have taken a shower and ‘traveled’ to work, even if it’s to the next room.
• Taking multiple physical breaks throughout the day is imperative. It gets your blood flowing and helps with the creative problem solving challenges. Get good exercise. Whether this means going for a walk, run or You tubing a workout. It does not matter what exercise you choose, what matters is daily exercise.
• Stay current with video social chats. Maintaining your connections visually is imperative. You don’t realize how much socializing we do at the water cooler until you don’t have that anymore.
• Use the best task chair and have your work area the correct height for your keyboard and monitor. Try standing throughout the day or working at the counter will help with your work output. We take for granted our work task chair we left at the office. Use your best option at home.
Learn, grow and remember everyone is in the same situation.