Tips for Working From Home

With many States having a Stay At Home Order for nonessential employees many of us have found ourselves working from home with new, four-legged “co-workers”. Many businesses’ employees have been able to stay productive while working from home with Webex meetings and to-do lists. Here are some of our tips to stay productive and successfully work from home: Have a designated workspace at home. When you work on the couch and relax on the same couch after, it can be hard to be “turned off” once the workday is over. You will also be able to “clock in” once you sit in your home office, keeping your day fully focused and productive. If your home is lacking a conducive space to work, many of our hotels are offering an “Office Space Special” where you can book a room Monday - Friday from 8 am to 6 pm. Have a morning routine. Don’t just roll out of bed and onto your computer. Set up a morning routine whether it's 15 minutes or an hour. Wash your face, change clothes even if it’s into another pair of sweats, and have a cup of tea or coffee with breakfast. You may not spend as much time getting ready as you do when you’re going into the office, but getting ready will help get you into the mindset to work. Plan out your day. Making a schedule and sticking to it is key for a productive workday at home. When you don’t have a list, you can more easily be distracted by other things happening at home. Include a break for lunch on your schedule, so you don’t get swallowed up in work and skip breaks if you can help it. Don’t do anything home-related during work hours. Wait to do your laundry or house cleaning until outside of work hours so you don’t get distracted from work. Focus on what you need to do for work rather than what needs to be done at home even though your work environment is your home for the time being. Exercise. Getting moving is not only good for your physical health it's good for your mental health as well. Even though gyms are closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, there are so many workout videos online and live on social media for any type of workout you do from yoga to HIIT. Leave your house when you can. Take a walk around the neighborhood or sit on your patio if you can. Getting fresh air and sunshine will help you reset for the rest of your day. Just getting up and getting out of your house with new surroundings can help get you ready for a productive workday. Use video meetings and socialize. When you have work meetings use a video chat system such as Webex, Zoom, or Google Hangouts. It will help to see everyone’s faces and connect rather than just meeting with a phone call. It will also help with employee morale to host more socializing focused video calls. Once a week eat lunch together or host an at-home happy hour to help employees connect and socialize during self-isolation.

From establishing a routine to video chatting, there are many things to make working from home during this time of crisis a little bit easier. Whether you’ve worked from home in the past or this is your first time, these tips will help keep you efficient while in your home office. Learn more about Emerald Hospitality Associates, Inc’s services and portfolio of hotels and restaurants on our website.