As the COVID-19 situation continues to develop, many of us, including the Work Better team, have transitioned from an in-office environment to working from home.

The first few days are a breeze - you don’t have to wake up as early, lunch is usually just your favorite snacks as you curl up on your couch for an hour, and you get to be your only coworker (arguably the best person to work with). After those first couple of days things start to become a bit more monotonous. It’s harder to focus, and you may start to long for the structure that going into the office provided. One of the best ways to stay in the groove is to keep up a schedule even while you're at home! This will keep you productive while providing a sense of normalcy; and if you happen to be self-quarantined with multiple people, a new set schedule can help provide structure to keep everyone focused.

Come up with your new morning routine

It already may be hard to get out of bed in the morning, especially now when you don’t actually have to leave the house to go anywhere. Keeping up with a morning routine can help you get ready for the day and set the tone. Take a shower and change into something you can work in comfortably. No need for a power suit in your living room, but maybe forgo the sweatpants. Make some coffee or tea and some breakfast. You can even choose to get a workout in before your workday begins. Setting up your morning with activities like this can help set the productivity level to high for the day.

Set up your new home office area

This can be an actual home office, your dining room table, or even your make-up vanity in your bedroom. You don’t need much to set-up a new area for yourself to work from. Personally for me, it’s my kitchen counter - it’s as simple as my laptop, a notebook, and my essential oil diffuser (since I have one at work too). But that commute, albeit short, from my bedroom to my kitchen setup helps it click in my head that I am now in work mode until 6pm.

At home with kids? Include some activities they are missing out on.

Kids thrive on a routine and now most are transitioning out of their normal schedules to learning from home. Most schools thankfully have a process in place to continue core curriculum classes online, but what about some of the other classes they may be missing out on? When there’s a break in their lesson plan, you can try out a quick online art lesson or a cool science documentary on Netflix. If they need some extra lessons in a particular subject, check out a great comprehensive list here. This can give them a few fun things to look forward to in their schedule while also keeping their days interesting and different.

Treat your lunch break like a real lunch break

Yes, you still get that lunch break even while you’re at home! Everyone still needs a moment away from their inbox. Take this time to get some fresh air and take care of yourself. I usually spend my lunch breaks looking up new recipes I can make for dinner while listening to a new album; sometimes this includes a facemask - just remember to take it off before you hop on any calls when you get back from your break.

Continue to socialize

To beat the feeling of isolation, you still need to keep in touch like you are in the office. Set up calls with colleagues you normally work with to see what they're working on and what’s on their to do list. Even if you aren’t working on the same projects, they may be able to offer you some fresh ideas and creative ways to reach your goals. 

Now that you’re working from home, that also doesn't mean that you should change up your after-work schedule! Virtual events are becoming popular as everyone is doing their best to practice social distancing. Happy hours hosted on Hangouts or Zoom are replacing that Thursday night at your favorite bar.

Movie nights don’t have to go away either. The Work Better team is hosting regular watch parties using the Netflix Party extension for our team and members to help keep us all connected while social distancing.  Creative ways like this to stay connected also helps by giving you something fun to look forward to during the work day.

The Work Better team are no strangers to helping out our Virtual Office clients to operate at their best. Remember if there is anything we can assist you with or if you need tips on how to adapt to this new lifestyle, we’re here to help!