No matter where you're located, you more than likely know about COVID-19. Even though we know it will pass, there are changes almost daily to our routines that can be a little scary since they're out of our control. One change may be that your company is now operating remotely, which can be super exciting for some (shoutout to our fellow introverts), and horrible for others (extroverts, we wish we had your power). How can working from home be done both successfully and productively? We're happily pros at it, as Koda Studio's home base happens to be our actual home. Here are a few things that help us out on the daily.
Get ready
We know, we know. Working in pajamas is probably one of the first things you thought when you saw that email from your boss, asking you to stay home. The problem is, when you don’t get a shower, put actual clothes on, do your hair (even if it’s a sad excuse for a messy bun), or whatever “getting ready” looks like for you, your body and mind aren't preparing themselves to get things done like they would on a normal day. These daily tasks not only wake us up physically, but are internal triggers to get our mind to start brewing it’s coffee. While working in PJs sounds like a dream, we’ve found that we are never productive or able to 100% focus on the work in front of us, because we never told our bodies and minds that it was time to work. Try to treat your morning routine the same as you always would—but when you'd normally hop in the car, hop over to your desk. That's what we do, and we love it.
Consider your workspace
Whether it's your home office or your kitchen counter, find a designated workspace. Keep all work-related items here, instead of letting them flood into other areas of your home. This area should be comfortable and easy to work in. We actually have a blog post on creating a productive workspace, so make sure you give that read for more tips on how you can set up your space!
Take breaks
While some may think differently, we've found it's actually difficult to shut your brain off when you've been working at home. Remember to take a solid lunch break, and all of your other short breaks throughout your day. When you designate time for yourself, it gives you a motivator to finish your work in a time-efficient manner in addition to giving your mind and body a breather. When 5 or 6 rolls around, be done, just as you would in the office. If you have created a designated workspace like we suggested above, you won’t have to look at any work-related items that will trigger you to keep working.
Keep your phone out of sight
Picking your phone up and mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds is probably one of the hardest habits to break while working from home. There’s no one watching you do the dirty deed. Personally, we have found that the best way to avoid picking up your device is to put it completely out of sight with notifications off. We’ve tried the timers, blockers, etc. but we always turn them off (oops). By keeping it out of sight, we can truly be present with the work at hand, and guess what? When your break time rolls around, you can go nuts catching up on all the COVID-19 news you missed in the last hour.
Enjoy the perks
Navigating remote work can be tricky, but remember to enjoy all of the perks. Take the time to make a decent lunch for once, instead of the crappy sandwich you’ve been packing every day. Go on walks around your neighborhood or do a yoga-flow in the middle of the afternoon. Snuggle with your furry friends because they are ecstatic that you get to be home with them. These are the little things and flexibilities that we love about working from home. We hope that you can experience some of the fun for a little while too!
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