Quarantine Tips: How To Work From Home With Little Ones

The ongoing Coronavirus crisis has thrown an innumerable number of lives off track, and even people not directly affected by illness have had to change their lives in drastic ways. If you are like me and are blessed enough to be able to continue working, you may be struggling to adjust to a work from home lifestyle. Working from home may have once sounded ideal, but when it's not by choice, you can find yourself feeling like an animal in a cage. In learning to work from home effectively, I've realized a few things that will hopefully be useful to you too.

My absolute number one tip for adjusting to a work-from-home lifestyle is to make sure you keep work and home separate. Even though you may be working IN your home, your work shouldn't invade your home life. If you begin to act like you're living in the office, then your mental state and productivity will start to plummet. If you are someone who lives in a small space or with multiple people, then you might be inclined to work from your bedroom. This is a terrible idea! Keeping your work and home separate even while working from home can help you stay sane during stressful times, and it'll help you to avoid home-life distractions like housework or the television.

Another simple tip for working from home is to go outside and get some fresh air, every day if you can. If you're someone who used to work in an office, then you have plenty of exposure to the world outside your home. When working from home, you may be so tired at the end of the workday you want to go right to the couch, but this means that you'll be in your house from the moment you wake up in the morning to when you go to bed. It can be as easy as taking a morning, evening, or even a lunchtime walk, but the effect it will have will be immediately noticeable.

The recommendation I have for a new work-from-home employee is to be sure to strengthen the line of communication with your coworkers. When in the office, it's easy to let someone know that a small task has been completed or to acknowledge a responsibility you've been given. These are the types of interactions that can be lost over the internet, so you have to be sure to send a message or email, even if it's for something you wouldn't have sent a message for in the office. This is a great way to keep track of productivity while staying on top of things as well.

These are just a few of my own tips to help yourself adjust to a new work-from-home life, but there are so many so talk to your friends and coworkers to see if they have any helpful advice for you! Let me know your ideas and what’s been working for you by starting a conversation on Twitter. #WorkFromHome

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