5 tips for working and coping at home

So your office is closed because of Coronavirus and you have to work from home. 

You wake up on day one and open up your laptop.

Just need to print out a document and your ink runs out.

You go on amazon to buy ink and suddenly you realise you need a new notice board to hang over your desk in front of you. What size? You go into the kitchen and rummage around looking for a tape measure. The fridge beacons and you make yourself a salad - didn’t they say healthy mind makes you more productive.

Back at your computer and an hour later you have found the right notice board. It is already 2pm and you have not done anything productive 

How do you work productively outside your normal office environment?

What skills are useful for working from home?

1. Clear away distractions.
2. Start with a clean desk. You are working from your kitchen, clean part of the kitchen table and make sure it is free from clutter 
3. Schedule your tasks
4. Use a calendar and a pen and paper or Google calendar, whatever you are more comfortable with and schedule tasks.
5. If you want to schedule non work related tasks such as buying notice boards, schedule a time for that.
6. Break down tasks.
7. Some tasks might seem overwhelming and you will inevitably push them off. Break them down into small manageable micro-tasks and they will seem easier to deal with.
8. Set long term goals
9. As well as creating manageable tasks set yourselves long term goals.Write down goals and deadlines for those goals then try and aim to meet them.
10. Reward yourself for reaching goals! This is individual so it could be watching those funny videos your friend sent you by whatsapp!

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Darren Strom is CEO of  VMAL Ltd – a London based branding, marketing and web design company and can be reached by email at [email protected] or on 0208 133 3527