To prevent spread of the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends working remotely when applicable. CareerCast.com has a variety of resources to help those new to working from home navigate the process, which can be difficult — and that's before accounting for the added stress brought on with coronavirus quarantining.
Our archives include recommendations on creating a makeshift "office space" in your home, bolstering your workday productivity, and striking the right balance between work and home duties when the two worlds are intertwined.
All remain pertinent amid this health crisis, but the added stakes necessitating work-from-home policies presents another layer to remote employment. A few things to keep in mind while working at home during the coronavirus shutdown:
DO NOT OBSESS ON THE NEWS
While it's imperative to remain up-to-date on CDC, World Health Organization (WHO) and your own local government's release of information, do not allow yourself to become consumed. Do not scroll mindlessly through Twitter, hit F5 on a news site, or leave the TV tuned to news programming all day. Never mind an potential distraction from work: Take a break from social and traditional media for your own emotional well-being.
ALLOT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN YOUR WORK DAY
Modern workplaces have placed higher premium on integrating physical activity during the day, whether with reduced membership to local gyms, on-site gyms, or group exercise activities. Exercise is great for reducing stress and improving mental clarity, two things that cannot be taken for granted during this trying time.
If you feel well enough to do so, make an exercise break a mandatory part of your work-from-home day. Because you should avoid the gym, you can mix in exercises like a walk around the block, or follow a yoga routine on YouTube.
MAINTAIN COMMUNICATION
Although not necessarily an element of remote work exclusive to the age of the coronavirus, working from home can feel isolating. This is a double-edged sword in that interaction with co-workers is an important part of establishing workplace camaraderie and promoting an efficient workplace.
Find time every week at minimum to check in with your co-workers — and not just via email. Skype, FaceTime, whatever technology is available to you, use it. And to keep up the social aspect of the job, consider arranging regular online gaming times or group chats out of work hours to maintain that critical component of the job.
We are in a difficult and unprecedented time, but the positive is that we're all in it together, even when we're separated.