The current Covid-19 crisis has seen many of us working at home for the first time, while even experienced homeworkers are having to cope with sub-optimal working conditions as the whole family find themselves in lockdown during the pandemic.
Finding that productive quiet space can be a challenge when the kids are cooped up, the dog’s barking and there’s no escape to the tranquillity of the park. It’s particularly tough for home workers living in flats, where there’s no opportunity for the kids to play in the garden.
With ‘WFH’ one of the buzzwords of the day, homeworkers are finding their own ways to be as productive as possible during the coronavirus lockdown.
As experienced home-based workers will attest to, one of the key things is to maintain a good routine. One of the challenges many people find when working from home is the difficulty in switching between home and work life. Going to the office, or a physical workplace, creates a routine: get up, have breakfast, shower, get dressed into work clothing, travel to the office…
Combined, the routine helps subliminally switch our mindsets from home to work – so trying to maintain some kind of routine when homeworking is also hugely beneficial. Setting the alarm, showering and having breakfast before starting work from home helps create that routine – as does making sure to start work at a designated time. Where possible having a dedicated work area helps get into the zone too, but even if you can’t stretch to a having a spare room as a home office many people find that having a regular space where you work is important as part of the routine. Even the kitchen table can be an effective work station, and taking a few moments to clear the surface and turn it from family table to home office can be an important part of the work ritual.
Ritual and routine are the key for most. Set hours that work for you. Plan breaks and make sure you take them. Without travel, your day should, theoretically, be shorter and more productive and unless your boss (or virtual meeting schedule) demands it, there’s no reason to be doing a regular 9-5. Find the hours that work best for your new situation and try to fit that around the other members of the family.
Communications and setting expectations are key in these situations. Everyone in the household needs to find their own routine, whether it’s your partner’s work commitment or the kids doing their school work, it’s important that everyone knows what is expected of each other at every given time. Remember, you’re all in it together – but make sure you detach from work at set times (for example evenings and weekends) to spend important family time.
While working, you shouldn’t be nagging the kids or making snacks. Sure, you’ll probably have to switch roles during the day and that’s why timetables and routine are important. Make sure you schedule those breaks to walk the dog, cook lunch and check the school work – but always try to switch back to work mode when break time’s over.
Find what works for you. If you normally listen to the radio in the office, you might find it helps to listen when working from home – although it would be advised to limit the amount of time spent on social media and watching news in these strange times. In a noisy home environment, you might also find it beneficial to use filtered earplugs like Auritech those produced by Auritech.
Solid foam or wax earplugs can be something of an acquired taste. They do a brilliant job of blocking out all noise but create a bubble effect that can be uncomfortable to live in for eight hours a day.
Auritech on the other hand produce ear plugs for a wide range of activities. All feature the same tri-sectional, conical design which provides a good fit for almost every ear and have a unique patented ceramic filter designed to block out harmful noise while allowing speech and other important sounds to get through.
This filter is tuned for the specific activities, with seven versions (Music, Biker, Water Sports, Shoot, Work, Travel and Sleep) produced.
For working at home, Auritech Travel ear plugs are ideal because the filter has been tuned to reduce the uncomfortable humming background noise experienced on an aircraft, while still allowing the wearer to hear regular conversation, listen to music and so on.
This filter also works to reduce the background noise in the office, at home or in the regular environment, while allowing you to go about your daily tasks and without creating the isolated ‘bubble’ effect. And because they’ve been designed for day-long comfort on transatlantic flights, they won’t get sweaty and uncomfortable when worn all day. For those who like to block out more sound, a stronger filter – like those used in the Work or Sleep plugs – allow for greater isolation without totally blocking out your surroundings.
Should you decide to wear filtered earplugs while working from home, it’s another element that helps contribute to your daily routine. Taking them out at the end of the working day is another way to signify the transition from work to home life, as you return to your role as cook, cleaner, mother or father!
For more information on Auritech Travel ear plugs, please visit: https://www.auritech.co.uk/universal-fit-earplugs/travel.html