Hello everyone! I hope you’re staying healthy. I’m guessing you’re either working from home, or will be soon. Thankfully technology is here to help you navigate this uncomfortable situation. Some of us are creatures of habit, and not going into the office simply doesn’t feel right. Here are some tips to stay productive as well as recommend technology that will make your job easier.
Let’s start with your mindset. Keep up with your daily routine, i.e. wake up, shower, and put on your work clothes. Walk your dog in the morning like you normally would, and grab yourself some coffee. Read the news and warm up your brain. Then, go to a defined location in your house, fire up your email, and start your day. Consider turning the TV off and staying away from distractions. Take the same breaks as you normally would. Make phone calls and talk to people. I promise this can make the day fly by. Keep yourself busy. Focus. Keep your mind active. STOP DAYDREAMING!
Now that we have the mindset down, let’s talk about the tech side of things. After all, I’m an IT guy, not a shrink:
-Wi-Fi: Reliable Wi-Fi is your lifeline to working remotely. Are you running slow? Try rebooting your Comcast (or other ISP) equipment. -Laptops/Tablets: This is obvious… or maybe you brought home your desktop? Do you have what you need?
-VoIP Phone Apps: Most phone systems have a mobile app (your work line can ring your cell phone). Did you download yours?
-Collaboration Apps: Teams, Slack, Trello, or any other product your business uses. This market is expanding like crazy, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Connect with your peers.
-Video Conferencing: Turn your engagements into video conferences as much as possible. It’s a good practice and can help meetings become more efficient.
It’s going to be weird for a while so set goals for yourself. Challenge the norm. In the long run, we will become better workers because of this. Hopefully you learned a couple of tips and are ready for the WFH challenge. If not, click here and maybe you can find a new home office setup. 😊 Stay positive!