Working Remotely in the Midst of Chaos

Hey, this is Kate! If you haven’t been following, I am new here!

What a time for me to join the team, when the world is about to collapse, right? Helping people is my passion, so I decided to share my perspective on working from home. Hopefully, you can take something useful that might help you if your daily routine suddenly means you’re accountable on your own time.

I am sure it has been everyone’s dream for ages to wrap yourself around in a blanket, make some coffee and work from the comfort of your nest. Now seems like the perfect time for it, but….

Hold on a second! What’s that I am seeing? THE PANIC. Your neighbors are talking about the end of the world approaching, Facebook telling you to wash your hands every two minutes, you’ve come dangerously close to running out of toilet paper (for the second time!), and you feel totally overwhelmed.

Who wants to work hard in that scenario?!

Even I feel like lounging around as I am thinking about this nightmare.

Thankfully, we can find some peace and reassurance in these hectic times.

Here are 5 easy steps to boost your productivity and increase focus while working remotely:

  1. Wake up at a specific time every day. Yes, we are all human. Yes, we all want to slack off, but if you want to see the fruits of your labor, you’ve gotta push yourself. Science suggests that it only takes 14 days to develop a habit. Time to buckle down and just (yes, I’m going to say it…) go to bed earlier tonight!
  2. Find a comfy place to set up a little office inside your house. I think we can all agree that screaming kids (and for Jenn, flounsy, adorable puppies) won’t make your work go smoothly unless your are ridiculously disciplined. Your dog chewing on your cable? Nah, sounds even worse than “chewing your homework”. What I recommend you to do is create a “no-disruption” zone where you can focus solely on your tasks. Sounds easy enough, right? 😉
  3. Customize your space. Since we have created our own space, the next step would be… Decoration! It’s okay to play your favorite music in the background. Bring more flowers. Do you like incense? Find the aroma that fits your tastes and enjoy it while working. In short, be your own boss. (Scent is an important one because, in time, when your brain registers the scent you’ve chosen, it will more quickly get into work mode – rather than I-need-another-coffee mode.)
  4. Have a plan. Don’t try to do everything at once, you’re not a superhero (no, Spiderman PJs don’t count!). Make a list of the basic tasks you need to perform each day and stick to it to the best of your ability.
  5. Treat yourself. Did you get your job done? Awesome, go grab a cookie! Did you call a client and scheduled a meeting for next week? Look at you killing it! My point is – no matter how insignificant your achievements might look in the eyes of other people, they should mean the world to you. Always give yourself credit when you deserve it.

Well, there you have it. Do you have your own “Top 5 Easy Steps”?

Until next time,
Kate Kripak