It does not matter whether they give you tasks or you find them on your own. For an office worker, working from home is at the very least unusual, and at the most, it is unhelpful, inconvenient, and inefficient. A few rules can help you organize your remote work process, and they are aimed primarily at those who are out of the office temporarily and involuntarily.

1. Negotiate with yourself and your household

Be prepared that you won’t be in a working mood, and everyone at home will think that you have the day off. It’s also hard to stay motivated and get things done, rather than lingering over a TV series, reading a book, or taking an afternoon nap and deciding to work on the couch. This is especially dangerous if your duties do not require your undivided attention.

So, if you are determined to be productive, you need to make an effort to explain to everyone, including yourself, that you are at work. And no, you can’t run to the store, make a pizza, fix a faucet or play Lego.

2. Make a plan for the day

You may be able to do without it in the office, but in self-organization, a plan is essential. It’s what keeps you on track and tells you what to do next.

However, the main value of the plan is this: it will give you the understanding that you have managed to do a lot of things during the day. Maybe not everything you wanted to do, for example, you didn’t close a big task, but things got done: you called, discussed, wrote, sent, requested. If you’re an employer, use custom LMS development services to develop an individual development plan for your employees to help them develop and make a plan for themselves.

According to my observations, it is most effective to make a plan in the morning, if possible dividing things into urgent and those that can wait, into large and small tasks. And keep the list in front of you at your new workplace.

3. Equip the workplace

The worst option is a laptop on your lap. Ideal – a separate desktop. But let’s not be maximalists: even a spontaneously equipped nightstand is better than nothing.

Suppose the only table in your apartment is the dining room table, set up your work corner on it. Sauces, breadboxes, or tablecloths should be removed altogether. Check the chargers and availability of outlets, install a lamp. Add the necessary office supplies.

4. Think ahead about food

I’m not talking about breakfast and dinner, but let’s be honest: -you can’t do without snacks, coffee breaks-, tea parties and, of course, lunch. Make sure that tea, coffee, and healthy snacks are available. Food is a part of our life, and its absence can ruin the whole working mood.

And lunch is a cornerstone for remote workers. At home, a break can last for three hours: first, you cook or wait for delivery, then you munch on the show, and then, of course, you pour tea – you can’t leave an episode unviewed if there are no urgent tasks the couch beckons to lie down, to read, and to rest in general. And most unexpectedly, during dinner, the housemates forget that you are now at work.

What’s going to help here:

•       Plan meals only for yourself, as you would do in the office, and never get involved in a family meal or sharing a pizza.
•       At the beginning of the break, outline a specific end date, for example: “I’ll be back at 2:30 pm.” My advice is to allow 1.5-2 hours. You are unlikely to finish lunch in an hour, so it is better to set a realistic deadline right away.
•       Before the break, start the next task. Then you will know exactly what to do in the afternoon and you will gain efficiency faster.

5. Observe the regimen

Since quarantine or self-isolation measures are temporary, it makes sense to stick to your usual schedule. In the same way, get up and get ready for work: eat breakfast, change out of your pajamas, read as if you were reading in transport, or chat if that is what you are doing. Your workday doesn’t particularly change from the fact that you’re now out of the office, so there’s no reason to give up familiar rituals. They will help the work mood.

There is also no way around a fixed start to the working day and, of course, its end. Those who work all the time remotely “leave” work in exactly the same way: they close their laptop and finish the working day.

It does not matter whether you are in the office or at home, whether someone supervises -your activities or whether -you have to learn -the basics of time management -yourself. The important thing to remember is that you are still working remotely. If you are not used to working out of the office, you may find it difficult. First of all, this is normal. Secondly-, many people find it difficult, even if everyone denies it. And third, -it’s only temporary.