With the onset of COVID-19, suddenly working remotely isn\u2019t just a nice option for some workers, but a requirement brought on by state and local stay-at-home orders. So now our typical days in the office are not so typical days working at home \u2014 and now sharing space with working spouses or partners, and\/or kids going to school at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone who works remotely must figure out when to work, where to work, and how to create boundaries between work and personal life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Remote works brings its own challenges<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unplugging after work is another challenge remote workers face. <\/strong> According to data from Owl labs\u2019 2019 State of Remote Work Report<\/a>, remote workers say they work more than 40 hours per week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many working parents are facing working from home with kids for the first time. It won\u2019t be easy or perfect, but there are a few strategies you can use to make your new situation a little easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Setting up dedicated spaces for everyone will help you avoid distractions \u2014 but it won\u2019t remove temptations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s how to handle some of the most common productivity-killers you\u2019ll face working from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Phone calls: <\/strong>Train family and friends not to call you during your work hours (and school hours). It will be easy if you have a separate phone for work, but either way, don\u2019t answer personal calls during business hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Household chores:<\/strong> Do your big household chores during non-work hours \u2014 just like you did when you were working outside of your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Time on internet: <\/strong>Be careful not to allow productive internet research slide into time-wasting random surfing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it\u2019s time to work, you must adopt the mindset that you are at work. Think of everyone going to work (job and school = work for everyone).<\/p>\n\n\n\n And stick to it \u2014 most of the time. Having clear guidelines for when to be at work (and your kids to be at school) helps to set boundaries about work time and home time. Plus, routines help keep anxiety in check by maintaining consistency in a time where things change rapidly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t be afraid to get creative with your schedule. Consider starting your day early or working past the normal workday to adjust to meetings that take place in different time zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider an alternating schedule if you have other adults in the house. One is focused on work while the other is on \u201cschool duty\u201d and does their work on a different schedule. It may not be possible to get all your work done during your normal business day if you are also on school duty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Talk to your manager or human resources. You may need to make adjustments to be able to both work at home and take care of your children who are at home and not at school or day-care because of COVID-19 stay-in-place orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember that this isn\u2019t your personal situation that you just want to do<\/em>\u2014 it\u2019s a community issue. Having this type of conversation can help everyone (you, your boss, and your co-workers). Communicate your needs to help make life less stressful and keep work productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you work in an office and you see your co-workers, communication is just easier. If you need to get a message to a coworker, you stuck your head in their office or caught them in the breakroom. Now most office communication comes through Zoom or email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeping your boss and coworkers informed <\/strong>about what you\u2019re working on and what you\u2019re struggling with can help make life less stressful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Good and frequent communication helps manage feelings of being isolated from work too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look at your most important tasks and projects and work to do them while your kids are engaged in school. Again, if you have another adult at home, you can work uninterrupted in the morning while your partner watches the kids and then you switch in the afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are a single parent, you may need more flexibility \u2014 so remember to communicate with your manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Set aside hours of the day when you\u2019re available for calls and virtual meetings. Don\u2019t forget to let the kids know when you are uninterruptible too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And. . . eat that frog before lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This strategy from Brian Tracy\u2019s book, Eat that Frog<\/em><\/a>, recommends that you attack your most intimidating task first thing in the morning so you don\u2019t dread doing it all day. This strategy fuels productivity.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n What if you start your work in the afternoon because you are on school duty? Doesn\u2019t matter, the point of the strategy is to start with your most challenging task so that it either gets done or moves forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Schedule frequent breaks in the day. Instead of working in long blocks of time, break up your day a bit. Work for 30 minutes or an hour and then take a ten-minute break to go for a short walk or hang out with your kids. It helps energize everybody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working from home takes adjustments. It won\u2019t be perfect. It is okay to fail forward. Try these tips to help you your whole family stay productive at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Disclaimer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This article shouldn\u2019t be construed as legal advice. If you have detailed questions, they should be addressed directly with your labor and employment attorney.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n [1]<\/a> How to Increase Your Productivity as a B2B Writer. https:\/\/www.awai.com\/2018\/01\/how-to-increase-your-productivity-as-a-b2b-writer\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With the onset of COVID-19, suddenly working remotely isn\u2019t just a nice option for some workers, but a requirement brought on by state and local stay-at-home orders. So now our typical days in the office are not so typical days working at home \u2014 and now sharing space with working spouses or partners, and\/or kids … Continue reading Productivity Tips on Working from Home \u2014 With Kids<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":504,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,6],"tags":[4],"class_list":["post-257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-trabajo-remoto","tag-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=257"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":505,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257\/revisions\/505"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Dealing with distractions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Set a Schedule<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Over-communicate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Prioritize<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Take Breaks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Adjustments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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