So far this routine has helped me finish all my work on time and not feel less productive or connected to my team…
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the company that I work at (a local marketing agency) decided that we will continue working from home. It has been three weeks now and I am personally surprised at how this new working environment has not disturbed the completion of daily tasks and the ongoing teamwork and communication.
Surely this is a result of the general culture and relationships of an organization, but in my opinion, the proper set of rules and guidelines for remote work is the primary thing that organizations can do in order to enable employees to function in this new environment.
At least this is something that has helped me cope whit this new reality. On the other hand, I must say that remote work has never really been my thing so it has been a challenge for me to work in this way. I am a person that likes structure so I tried to translate my office working routine as much as I could to my home office.
I get up at around the same time in the morning as I did before. I get out of my pajamas and put on comfortable clothes. I prepare my desk and my morning coffee as in the office and sit down to start working at the same time, which is around 9 am. I have also adjusted my meals and snacks at the same time as I had them at the office.
I don’t turn on the TV and I put my personal phone aside as I do at the office.
I check my To-do list and update it with completed and new tasks. I come back to it several times a day in order to make sure I don’t overlook something. I am more of a pen and paper kind of person but if you prefer, you can also use some web or mobile apps for personal task management.
At work, we also use team management software which helps a lot so if you were not using one previously now will be the perfect time to start. Some good examples of team management software can be found here.
I have informed all of my clients that we are working from home and also assured them that this won’t interfere in our work and communication. I also make sure to talk to them on the phone daily in order to ensure that everything is in order and to offer support for their business in this difficult time.
At the office I only make brakes to eat, so I stick to that as well, but if you get stuck at some point you should take a break and go sit in your garden or terrace or maybe even have a short walk on the street around your house.
During the day I make sure to check up on my colleagues and have short conversations as we all usually do at the office. Text or call your colleagues daily so you feel connected and less isolated. It is also very important that you communicate your home office working routine with superiors and colleagues as well as to communicate any challenges or struggles you may be facing.
At around 5 pm I start finishing up on work. I make a final check on my emails and to-do list and I make a plan for tomorrow. Same as in the office.
Another very important thing is to try and finish work in your working hours and set up clear boundaries about working hours. Even though working more can be good to make time pass in a time where we don’t have a lot of other activates to do, but make sure you don’t neglect your well-being and exhaust yourself.
I hope some of these suggestions help you organize your working hours as well! In the meantime, stay home and stay healthy.
Author: Bojana Zavkova, is an Account Manager in a Marketing Agency, proud AIESEC alumni and Mladiinfo volunteer. She is passionate about sales and marketing and dedicated to continuous personal and professional development. She believes in leadership by example, personal accountability, humbleness and willpower, sustainability and collaboration.
Editor: Tomica Stojanovikj
