Work From Home Tips

With the numbers of coronavirus cases on the rise, many companies are initiating a work from home program. AvantGuard is already compliant with the newest UL virtual workplace standards to keep customers and employees safe during the COVID-19 outbreak. While this has great benefits, such as cutting out a commute and promoting a more comfortable workspace, it can present different challenges and needs, especially when it comes to alarm monitoring companies. If your alarm monitoring company becomes compliant with UL virtual workplace standards, here’s some tips that can help make the transition from office to home a little easier.

Create a dedicated work area

If you have a spare room inside your living space, it can be an easy transformation to make it an office or work area. If you don’t have an extra room, dedicating a specific spot in your living area for work can help put you in the right mindset. To the best possible extent, create a space that looks and feels like your office. It will help to separate a possible complacent feeling of just being at home. Also, if you can, try to work by a window. In a study done by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, something as simple as daylight, "may provide a profound way to improve office workers' productivity and health, as well as the safety of the community they work and live in." This study also shows that you’ll get better and more sleep, and maintain a higher work performance.

Learn how to Handle Distractions

Working from home is bound to bring about distractions, which may be amplified if you have family who’s also around due to closures from COVID-19. If listening to music or podcasts helps you get through the workday while in the office, incorporate them into your work from home life too. If you have kids that are at home, be flexible about what you can realistically get done while balancing the care they need, helping to create a work life balance while you’re remote. Initiating virtual play dates, and stocking up on books and other entertainment for them is a good way to ensure they stay busy.

Use To-do Lists

Each morning, before you begin work, write up a to-do list for the day. Prioritize what needs to be handled first, and communicate this with the rest of your team if needed. This ensures that everyone is aware of what’s happening, and maintains the social interaction. Though, by making lists, it’s important to be aware of what’s realistic versus what you wanted to get done. This ties back to our point about work life balance: some things may come easier, and others will have to come along as you adjust.

Establish a Routine

While creating an office space inside your home is important, making sure to have a routine to follow can also help you adjust. Start and end work the same time you normally do.Take your usual commute time and turn it into something else productive or accomplish a personal goal, such as making breakfast or taking your dog for a walk. This will help start your day on a better mental note.

Take Breaks

If you tend to get wrapped in your work, make sure to set a timer for a lunch break, or take time to step away from your work and move around. This will allow your brain to take a breather, and help reenergize your performance coming back to work.

“Blocking time out for yourself is crucial,” Tarah Keech, coach and founder of Burnout Survival said. “You’ll be amazed at all you can do from home." As you adjust to working at home and your new environment, you’ll be able to settle into a more regular routine.

Mute your devices and go offline if you feel yourself losing focus and need a break. Anything you can do to get outside and not just sit in front of the computer for eight hours straight will make working from home a better experience.

Be Prepared for an Adjustment Period

It’s likely that when you first start out working from home, you might not feel as efficient as you were in the office. However, know that this period won’t last forever. By giving yourself goals and using other work from home tips we’ve mentioned, you can quickly begin to find success in a remote work lifestyle.