The work from home life has its share of positives – sleeping a little later, sporting activewear (or let’s be real, pajamas) the entire day, doing a few loads of laundry in-between calls or meetings, and more time with our loved ones. But after a few weeks of this, we’re starting to feel the pain of not having a “real office.”
Here are 5 easy tips the RPC Team has for working from home!
Order a monitor
This is a simple one but having a second screen makes a world of difference. Being able to view multiple windows at once, without constantly going back and forth is a big time saver. You can pick up a monitor for about $100 online and have it shipped in a matter of days. They are easy to set up and sooo worth it.
Stay Connected
It’s easy to feel disjointed from your colleagues, friends, and team members when you don’t see them regularly. Consider scheduling a weekly “coffee talk” where you share highs and lows of your week, projects you’re working on, or just casual conversation. Are you having to reschedule or cancel client meetings? We LOVE the idea of a virtual happy hour for client check-ins. It’s a great way to give your clients peace of mind and answer their questions during this uncertain time. Not to mention, it’s another way to strengthen the business relationship.
Create a makeshift desk
You may not have the luxury of a dedicated home office, but you can certainly have your own desk. There are several creative and easy ideas on apartmenttherapy.com for whipping up your own desk, DIY-style. A lot of the ideas are done with items you may already have or can get your hands on easily – an old door, stack of books, board set on top of sawhorses…think outside the box! When you have your own work area, you’re more happy and productive!
Stick to a schedule
One of the most common mistakes work-from-homers make is not setting a work schedule. This means dedicated work hours and dedicated non-work hours and breaks. It’s easy to fall into the trap of always being available or trying to finish that “one last thing” when your laptop is sitting in plain sight – but we encourage you to create structure around your day. Give yourself down time to recharge.
Continue learning
If you’ve found yourself with a little more free time than usual, use it to your advantage. Join a webinar, watch video tutorials, listen to podcasts, or do online research about areas you’ve been wanting to learn more about. Use this time to be proactive about goals and strategies that will set you and your business up for success for the future.
Love the sound of the tips above but have kids at home? In that case, just engage survival mode. Seriously, take it one day at a time. And above all else, give yourself grace. This is a trying time. Keeping the kids occupied and engaged while working, and keeping the household together is a LOT. Take some deep breaths, stay positive, and know you’re not in this alone. We’re in this with you.
