Navigating the ‘Work From Home’ Waters During COVID-19

With the COVID-19 situation, many people who don’t usually work remotely are working from home—this may sound like a dream, but navigating the waters of this new work situation can prove to be difficult, at least at first.

For those of us who don’t typically work from home, here are a few tips to help keep you productive:

• Get dressed for the day. It will be easy to fall into the habit of working in your pajamas, but try not to. Get dressed to signal to yourself that you are “working”.


• Stick to your normal working hours. This is important for your productivity. This will also be helpful for anyone else who is home with you. Make sure you let whoever is home with you know when they should leave you alone so you can get your work done.


• Create a proper workspace. Workspace may be limited due to new co-workers (i.e. your spouse, children, etc.) Consider moving furniture and re-purposing some spaces so that everyone who needs a place to focus can get it.


• Clear clutter. You may find you are able to concentrate better if you have a clean workspace.


• Keep a routine. As much as possible. Try to have some sort of regular routine. Continue to go to sleep, wake up, work, exercise, watch TV, etc. during the same times as you would if you were actually going into the office.


• Pay attention to your video appearance. This goes hand in hand with getting dressed for the day.  There may be a time you have to have a video conference. Look professional, consider what people will see in your background and keep your background noises to a minimum if you can.


• Practice patience. Getting annoyed because a co-worker has a barking dog or crying baby who keeps interrupting a video conference or conference call will not help the situation. Show grace to those who don’t quite understand how to use the technology properly or keeps asking how to share a screen. If you’re that person—with the barking dog or the unfamiliarity with Microsoft Teams, be patient with yourself.

This is a unique situation, and we’re all doing the best we can.  Keep in mind, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Work the way that works best for you. Stay safe & healthy!

For more information on the Coronavirus, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.