Many white-collar workers in Bend have made the transition in the last month from a bustling office atmosphere to the chaos and comfort of working from home.

A recent presentation from members of Bend Young Professionals offers some tips and tricks for maintaining productivity and a healthy attitude during the coronavirus crisis.

Fromcommon-sense tips like blocking out time to turn off your phone, to how to transform turn a task list into a morning ritual, three local work-from-home veterans shared their recommendations for getting the most out of your day in the middle of a pandemic and recession.

While home environments vary, the primary challenge of working from home remains the same: How to sustain a productive and focused workday, without the motivation and accountability of actually going to work?

Dave Salcicciolithe chief development officer at Coachwell, a leadership and business coaching organizationsuggested developing new systematic rituals to help you maintain spiritual, physical and emotional energy in the midst of a scary and unpredictable time.

All of the rhythms that we had are all up in the air, he said. They helped us function at our peak, they helped us do really well in our work. We have to establish a new lifestyle to survive and thrive in this moment.

Establish a structure: get up, get dressed, put on your shoes and walk out the door if it helps you to get into the right frame of mind, he said.

Find a physical space in the house as your home office, he suggested.

Communicate this space to your spouse and your family so you are not bombarded with distractions and interruptions, Winn said.

[Your workspace] is not being on the couch with your sweatpants on, Winn said. That only works for a certain amount of time. When you enter that space your are in work mode, when you leave you are in family [or relaxation] mode.

How do you set boundaries when youre in absolute triage mode, when youre working really long days, working more, not less, said Gabriel Davis, the second panelist. Davis has worked remotely for three years in Bend as a growth strategist for a California-based marketing company.

When work is always there, always associated with our place at home, come up with some kind of activity that says Im shutting down for the day, letting the day go,'" he said. "I dont have to open the laptop at 7pm; I can start it tomorrow morning and the world isnt going to end.

At the close of the workday, write down what needs to get done the following day.

Davis added that a quick and easy hack for day planning is starting a shared Google calendar that is open to everyone in the office so co-workers know the best times of the day to check in, and can see your workflow. Davis said hes very transparent about his time and adds time slots for homeschooling his children.

He explained that it is common for people when they first begin working from home to feel nervous that their boss cant see them working, when in fact they are actually more productive.

People are probably very thankful [for their jobs] and want to hang on to that and may be overproducing, Davis said.

Even if you are working unconventional hours, it shows your bosses you are putting the time in, he said.

Document your progress each day to get an objective perspective of what you did, he said.

Working from home tends to be more about results, Davis said. Bosses will be looking for productivity. Treat the work you do as a business, even if you only serve one, the person you are working for.

Winn said that because you are working from home, it's important to clear away distractions.

Get notifications off your phone, he said. Turn it off if you can when you are in the middle of a task.

Davis advised that during this socially isolated time, to try to stay connected with like-minded people across different industries. It helps maintain a sense of camaraderie while also offering fresh perspectives on how to adapt your business during the pandemic.

Join networking groups talk through ideas engage it takes the burden off your own shoulders, Davis said. As we come out of this lock down, the people that leaned in on community, these are going to be the biggest leaders and winners coming out of this.

Visit link:
Master Working From Home, From Three Bendites Who Do It All the Time - The Source Weekly