Keep the economy moving... Top tips when working from home

During these challenging times, it’s so important for everyone to understand what a vital part they play in keeping the economy moving by continuing to work remotely. 

It’s easy to feel isolated and disconnected, but your company really need you right now!

Here are a list of my tips for maximising productivity whilst working from home:

Set the right environment

• Don't work from your bedroom all day! Although tempting, having a productive mindset is vital and the best way to achieve this is to find a relatively quiet space where you can set up your virtual office.

Have a routine

• Arguably most important of all. Set yourself a clear daily routine staying as close to your normal routine as possible. This will help you stay focused and on track. get up, get dressed and be ready to go as you usually would.

Set daily goals

• Write down 3 things that you'd like to accomplish by the end of the day. Whether that’s being up and ready to start your day at 9am or a work related goal, committing yourself to achieving something, however small, will give you a sense of achievement at the end of day.

Take a break

• I know I'm guilty of being so absorbed when working from home that it's easy to continue head down and not take a break. Just by taking an hour at lunch to connect with the kids, walk the dog or have some food will give you a clear mind to be able to tackle the afternoon with renewed energy.

Look after yourself physically and mentally

• Eating junk all day is not the answer, even if the world was ending! Take advantage of being at home and being able to prepare healthy lunches or fresh smoothies.
• Get some fresh air - going for a short walk or using home based exercise apps will help keep you active. I can recommend following Emily @build.breathe for some simple at home pilates exercise to stretch out tired shoulder blades.

Read positive news!

• Let's face it - the news is depressing right now. Protect your thoughts from becoming negative worries by listening to audio books or connecting in social groups of positive like-minded people.

An opportunity to learn and improve...

• Make the most of your newly acquired travel time - now is the perfect opportunity to learn new skills. There are so many free online resources at our fingertips - use this time to improve.
• Working remotely allows us to be more mindful of how we use our time during the day. With a reduction in office based meetings, I think we'll find we gain another hour at least each day to maximise productivity.

Embrace technology...

• It brings us all together! When you're having online meetings, turn your camera ON. Everyone is scared to have their cameras on but that’s such an important part of communication - being able to read body language and engage emotionally is vital.

Keep colleague contact up

• Arrange times to meet virtually with colleagues so that you still keep the team spirit alive. To KVA, our office vibe is part of our positive and motivating culture. However with all the communication channels available to use, we can keep a collective human drive going in other ways.

Be human!

• With the schools closed and potential lockdown looming, we're all in the same boat. Everyone is working from home with children and pets in the background and not all of us will have a dedicated office to shut ourselves away in. Keep it real - clients having video calls with me are now guaranteed to have a chihuahua head pop up in a few meetings now and then!

We will get through this time and it will certainly mark a point in history. We have a choice in how we embrace change and although times are challenging, there is so much we can learn about how we use technology, how productive we can be and how we innovate.

#TeamKVA - we've got this!