Working from home during Covid-19 pandemic
How are you finding working from home? Maybe you already had some flexibility and were used to working from home. If however, you are one of many who, due to the current coronavirus pandemic, has had to start working from home to adjust to the new situation.
As most people, you probably had some adjustments to make and the first couple of weeks, and it may have felt rather strange. It can be challenging to create a structure to begin to establish a work routine. This may take some time, particularly if you are sharing the space with your family who also has had to adjust to working and studying at home..
Creating a space that is dedicated to work is essential to be able to function and be productive. So is managing relationships with family members so that there is the emotional space to focus on work tasks. In addition, creating clear boundaries between work tasks and housework.
it requires discipline to focus on one task when there are several other task that require attention around the house. In order to manage work tasks, and do good work, it will be useful to prioritise them. You may already have a system to decide which task you will work on first, by defining the criteria it will make it easier to identify their importance. This will help to have an overview of what is required as well as be able to order the tasks by level of importance.
To work effectively we need to maintain our energy level. Developing healthy habits such as protecting sleep and doing exercise regularly strengthen our physical and mental capacities. This will improve the ability to concentrate so that we can work optimally.
Do you find that despite your good intentions to get on with your work it is difficult to make yourself do it? If so, you are not alone. It requires more effort to keep track of each individual task, and therefore it can be difficult to get started.
One useful technique is to use the strategy “IF-THEN”, which are referred to as implementation intentions. This technique can enable us to increase the potential that we complete a task. In consists of the following: First, identify the possible distractions that may prevent you from doing your work. For example, checking your phone every time a notification comes in, or getting up to sort out the laundry or deal with the children. Then, identify what you could do different to prevent these things from distracting you. For example: Plan to put the phone in the drawer/airplane mode, or set a task/homework for the children to do. Then, decide that you will check it after 30 minutes or set a time that works for you.
Small interventions can enable us to create a routine that works for us, and it can set a good example for the children to follow.
