Help to reset the coronavirus working from home experience

Struggling with the whole coronavirus working from home thing? Many of us are new to working from home but nearly all of us are new to doing so while locked down and having to home school our kids too!

If it’s not going well it’s probably time to take a step back and reset. Draw up some rules going forward and see if things go better.

Redwigwam is a firm that matches workers with short term contracts and tasks. They shared these tips that might help working dads to make a success of this working from home in a time of coronavirus.

Set expectations for work and your family

Let your family know you’re going to be busy for a few hours. Being at home may give your family the impression you’re off to do what you like. As great as that would be – you still have deadlines to hit. Also, make sure you’re realistic with the goals you’re setting – you may be slightly more distracted with family around than you would in an office.

Set up a designated area for work

This is important. Find yourself a space you can really focus. This could be setting up your own personal desk space, to cleaning the kitchen counter and making it your own personal office for the day. You will feel much more productive if you have an area to space all your essentials out.

Use your time wisely and stick to a schedule

Working from home can be fun, but also distracting. Set yourself tasks and goals to hit by the end of your shift. You can also track your weekly progress by all the tasks you’ve ticked off whilst at home.

Be flexible and mix up your working hours

The best thing about working from home is choosing hours that suit you. Try mixing up your hours, from the crack of dawn to early evenings. We all work best at different times.

Maintain regular communication with your colleagues

This is important. Not only is it great to maintain friendships with your colleagues, it’s important to let them know you’re on hand to help. Set up a Skype call with them, or communicate with them on a regular basis via a group chat.

Make sure your tech is secure and your WiFi is up to the job

Please ensure you have a password on all of your documents and your virus software is up to date. Check your laptop/PC regularly. Working from home also means you need decent WIFI. The last thing you need is technology slowing you down. You could be ready to do lots of work, but get barely anything done with a dodgy connection.

Take clear breaks

Taking breaks is perfect to stay productive. You can walk the dog on your lunch break or sit in the garden if the weather’s nice. Also remember to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day, to avoid any headaches or grogginess.

Lorna Davidson, Founder and CEO of Liverpool-based Redwigwam, said: “Coronavirus is having a massive impact on staffing and the Government has made clear that the situation will get worse over the coming weeks. It is vital that we all work together to help each other get through these challenging times.”

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• Homeworking work from home flexible working practices