Businesses across the world have been working hard to adapt to evolving changes in workplace standards. As a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have adopted a work from home strategy in order to keep their operations running. As is the case with any change, complexities and challenges can result in a lot of stress and productivity loss. With the post, we’ll review some work from home tips to keep you productive.

Here at Diligex, our team is well versed in the best ways to help keep your team together even when there are physical limitations. Below are some tips to help you effectively and successfully work from home.

Since every company handles the work from home transition differently, your experience with working from home might not be identical to a friend or family member. If you have questions about your employer’s policies, you should consult with your management team.

Get Comfortable

Maintaining a solid level of comfort is critical to being able to efficiently work from home. When setting up your work space, make sure you do so in a dedicated area of your home that allows you to remain comfortable for an extended period of time. When possible, avoid spots like your couch, along a windowsill, or in your bed. While those spots may seem ideal due to being soft or cozy at first, their comfort wears off rather quick when trying to focus on work.

Instead of one of the aforementioned areas, work at a desk if at all possible and sit in a chair that provides proper posture. If a desk is not available, a suitable replacement would be a kitchen or dining room table. A key to being a successful teleworker is to mimic as much of the physical office experience as you can in the comfort of your own home so that you can remain comfortable for the entire work day.

Get Focused

There are certainly a lot more distractions in your home than there are in your office. Avoiding those distractions is a must if you want to succeed at working from home efficiently. When setting up your workspace, do your best to do so in spots that shield you from easy distractions like television or any projects that you may be working on in your personal time. If space is limited and you can’t get your TV out of your view, just be sure to leave it turned off and keep the remote out of reach.

Quite possibly the biggest distraction in your home though is your family. If you share your home with a significant other, kids, parents, or anyone else, the temptation to interact with them can be very difficult to ignore. When setting up your workspace, try to set it up in an area with minimal to no regular use by the other members of your household. If setting up in a communal area such as your kitchen, talk to those in your home ahead of time and ask that they minimize the use of those areas during your working hours.

Get Secured

As part of your telecommuting agreement with your employer, you may have been provided with various pieces of equipment such as a computer, phone, tablet, etc. Keeping them safe and secure is a critical responsibility. When possible, keep your equipment out of reach of children to prevent accidental damage or misuse. Always lock your screen when not actively in use such as when taking a lunch break. Even if your I.T. company is enforcing an automatic lock on your computer when not in use, a handy keyboard shortcut for Windows-based computer is “Windows Key + L” which will immediately lock your screen to prevent unauthorized use. Also try to keep your equipment in an area that is not directly visible from the outside of your home to help protect yourself against the prying eyes of a potential burglar.

Many security protocols for your devices are possibly already being handled by your I.T. department. These include but are not limited to data encryption, anti-virus software, and firewall. If you are unsure or concerned about your device’s security, consult with your I.T. department to see what level of protection they are providing you when working from home. If you don’t have an I.T. department, you can take some measures on your own

Get Connected

Depending on how your business is structured, you may be spending a lot of time interacting with files on your computer that are hosted elsewhere. If those files are normally hosted on servers inside of your company’s office, then you will notice a difference in speed when using them. Your office may also have a faster and more stable internet connection than yours at home which can result in a different experience even for files that are normally hosted in the cloud.

When getting your equipment connected to the internet in your home, use a wired Ethernet connection if possible. This will provide your computer with the most stable connection available. If equipment location does not allow it or you prefer to not have another cord in your home, be sure to only use a secured wireless network that you maintain control of. If your WiFi network at home does not currently have a password, now is the time to stop and add one! And for the safety of your company’s data and your computer’s health, do not use a public WiFi network unless your company has specifically approved it.

The world is a much different place at this time. While we all continue to work towards bringing things back to normal, Diligex is here to help you and your team adapt. We hope that our work from home tips are helpful. Feel free to contact us for further assistance.