Due the Government’s announcement on Monday 23rd March, we moved to out of hours access at all three locations for a period of at least three weeks in order to help combat the spread of the COVID – 19 virus. There will be lots of people that are unable to carry on their normal working routines but for many of the businesses that work within our three buildings here at Bracken, remote working is something that is an option and one that most of our clients have undertaken.
In these uncertain times, with many people now working from home we thought we could share with you some handy tips to ensure you get the best out of this situation.
1, Get up, get showered and get dressed
The most important factor to take onboard whilst working from home is to try and stick to a routine as much as possible. Simple things like setting your alarm, having breakfast, getting showered/dressed and making your bed will start your day as you mean to go on. You should treat it like a normal day in the office and by doing this it will help put you in the right frame of mind to have a productive day at work.
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2, Don’t put the tv on
Each morning create a “to do list” and stick to it as much as you possibly can. Making sure you add in time for breaks and lunch. It’s easy to slip into bad habits “I’ll just put the washing out” or “I’ll just watch the news for 10 minutes” these things can often escalate and before you know it, it’s the end of the day and you’ve not done all the things that were on your list.
3, Schedule regular breaks
As part of your to do list, ensure you add in plenty of breaks and adequate time for lunch. When you work in an office, without even realising it you take small amounts of time away from your work throughout the day. Whether it’s to make a drink, collect your post or having a quick chat with colleagues, all of these little breaks actually enable you to de-stress, and re-charge so that you can work more efficiently. It also helps promote good mental wellbeing.
4, Stay visually connected
The difficulty with remote working can be the negative affect it has on people’s mental health, especially for those who have transitioned from working in a busy office environment. We are lucky in this day and age that technology allows us to communicate and stay in touch. Social distancing doesn’t have to mean social disconnection. Since the Coronavirus outbreak the number of activities available online has rocketed. It’s not just business meetings being done via video link anymore but there are all sorts of opportunities to get involved, such as games, quizzes, bingo, exercise workouts even just sitting and having lunch together is an option that should be utilised in order to keep yourself connected.
5, Review your productivity
Reviewing your productivity at the end of the day will help you plan your tasks for the following day. For many people that don’t usually work from home this is an important factor to consider. It may become apparent that you need to prioritise tasks or delegate some work or maybe you have got through more than you had expected and want to take on some more responsibility. Whichever the case, knowing your productivity levels will ensure you are working efficiently.
6, Put down the laptop at the end of the day
Once you’ve finished work, turn off your computer and make an effort to do something physical, whether its one of the many exercise videos available on line or going for a walk (obeying the social distancing regulations of course). Now is the time to catch up with friends/family online or on the phone, watch that film you’ve been wanting to see or do all those jobs you’ve been putting off for months, like painting the fence and cleaning out your cupboards.
Hopefully, as long as we all try and work together and follow the guidelines, we can be back at work as soon as possible. We are really looking forward to welcoming our clients back to The Tannery, Calls Wharf and Albion Court but until then, stay home and stay safe and well.