With a lot of the globe shutting down to slow down and prevent the spread of
COVID19 many (who are able to) are working from home.
For those who haven't worked at home, or don't do so long term, we decided to make a little guide with some helpful tips and links to make the transition somewhat easier. As an eCommerce startup, the Fera.ai team has often worked remotely or from home.
For those of us in Canada, a lot of us are experts at working from home on the fly because of some crazy snowstorms!
Tip #1 - Keep Calm, Don't Spread Panic and be Patient!
The best tip right now is to keep calm. A lot of the precautions in North America are being taken to slow down and prevent spread, not because things are in absolute chaos right now.
Try and keep to your routines as much as normal to be able to normalize things.
- get up and shower
- get dressed
- have your coffee and
- check out social media
Whatever you do to prepare for your day as normal, keep it up.
Not only does this pass time, but it also keeps things normal for you as well.
Check out sources of news to keep up to date on COVID19. Make sure you're not just reading your friend's tweets-but check out sources like WHO, your local government, and large media outlets.
Tip #2 - Ergonomics and Getting Cozy
Make sure you have a setup where you can comfortably sit and work.
It might not be the super-adjustable desk and chair that you're used to but try to get a good space set up for yourself. Make sure you have good lighting and that your chair is at the right height to your screen if possible.
If you're able to you can order things online to be shipped or delivered to you. Check out this article for the
"Top 10 Office Chairs". Or this article for
desks.
Try to keep your workspace separate from personal space if possible.
Setting those boundaries will help you keep your space for sleeping, watching TV, reading, etc. separate from your space for being productive.
Tip #3 - Social Distancing Doesn't Mean Isolation
It can be dangerous for your mental health and wellbeing to be lonely, isolated and disconnected from others. In a remote working situation, this can become even more prevalent.
Try and set up meetings and chats with coworkers or friends. Don't be afraid to suggest some after-hours 'meetings' for socializing.
With today's technology, you can have a FaceTime meeting, have a drink and chat with your coworkers or friends. Netflix just released
the 'Netflix Party' to watch shows and movies with friends and family.
You can pause/play and chat on the side at the same time.
Tip #4 - Communication
Be open and communicate with your team.
Everyone is more understanding right now. Let them know you're struggling to balance working at home with raising kids, a pet, etc.
Maybe this means more meetings and more time having to talk to one another, but overall it will be better for everyone to be on the same page and understand what's going on.
It'll be critical to over-communicate during this time, which maybe isn't necessarily how things are when working at home.
Other Helpful Links and Resources
- Zoom for meetings
- Check out Spotify or Apple music for some background sound
- Buzzfeed and others have articles for easy at-home workouts!
- Noise-cancelling headphones from Amazon to keep things quiet if you have kids
- Sticher for some podcasts
- Audible for books read aloud to you
- eBooks for online reading (check your library they may have access to a lot of these for free, especially if your local library is closed)
Hopefully, these tips and links have helped!
Remember to stay safe, stay connected, and wash your hands!
All the best from the
Fera.ai team!
