The Ultimate Work from Home Toolkit

In these unprecedented days of self isolation and social distancing due to the Coronavirus, more and more of us are having to work from home. Many employees are already used to this, but for a lot of people, it’s a whole new world. There are also the added complications that due to the closure of schools and nurseries, an increasing number of workers are having to juggle working and childcare at the same time. 

Some businesses have a good track record when it comes to offering flexible working, meaning that employees have been able to take advantage of this with the right support and resources in places. Others are not so lucky. Many businesses have had their hand forced by the crisis, and so employees are finding themselves trying to carry on with limited back up. 

While I don’t have all the answers (who does at a time like this?), here is a list of resources that might just help over the next few months.

Productivity

If you’re not used to working from home, it can be hard to keep your focus with lots of new distractions. Also, some people find it difficult to separate their work and personal lives. Here are a few ideas on how to be more productive when working from home, but there are also a few apps that can help. If you struggle with organisation for example, Trello or Asana might be useful. Also, remember to keep up to date with your workplace systems so that you stay in the loop and don’t miss any vital communication. It’s also key to keep control of your work inbox, with many more remote workers, there may be more emails flying round than usual, so prioritisation is key. This article has a few good tips for staying in control. 

Time Management

When you are suddenly in charge of your own agenda for the day, and don’t have people around you, it can be difficult to manage your time effectively. It’s a good idea to start each day spending  a few minutes setting out your priorities. It’s important to keep in regular contact with your colleagues so that you’re all on the same page. A set time everyday for a conference call or even just a team email every morning is a good idea so you start positively. If this is something that you personally struggle with, there is a great app called Toggl which allows you to see how much time you are spending on different projects and to ensure that you are using your time in the most effective way. Spending a few minutes setting out a timetable everyday is a useful exercise so you don’t get sidetracked by one of the many distractions at home. 

Self Care

When working from home the distinction between work and personal life can get blurred. It’s important to keep boundaries in place and protect your work life balance, and your wellbeing. Here are a few ideas for self care at work, although they can easily be adapted to working from home. Remember to schedule regular breaks and introduce some activity into your working day. Also, not everyone thrives on working from home, so don’t be afraid to reach out to your colleagues or manager if you need extra support. You are still an employee and your rights are still protected. 

Childcare

There’s no magic bullet for solving this conundrum, and thankfully it is not a usual occurrence for the majority of people. The fact remains that many people have to work as well as look after their children, especially as in this current scenario the usual sources of help, such as grandparents, are unavailable. For those with young children it may be a case of working in the evenings or during nap times, or alternating childcare responsibilities with a partner. If your children are older there are several resources available to help as so many people are in this predicament. They may have had work set by school, and many educational resources have been made available for free, Twinkl is a great place to start. There is also a fantastic Facebook group ‘Family Lockdown Tips and Ideas’, that has a wealth of information and many online classes that you can join in with. 

The one thing we do know is that these are unprecedented times. Nobody knows how long this situation will last, or even what may happen next week. What we can do is look after our friends and family, look out for the wider community and make the best of the situation. Hopefully these resources prove useful over the next few months.