Two of the biggest changes include staying indoors as much as possible and social distancing, and as the regulations and shutdowns get tighter and tighter, many of us have also begun the process of working from home — whether that be at the behest of employers, the state government or even as a personal choice.
It has been a smooth transition for some; for others, not so much.
For those who do not have the luxury of a shiny work desk, comfortable chair and flawless wi-fi, it can take some getting used to. But the biggest hurdle to get over is the constant threat of motivation-loss and procrastination.
Tongala resident Tanya Hesson experienced this adversity first-hand two years ago when she started up her social media strategy and web design business.
Tanya said that while she thrived on working from home, others might not, especially those who were thrust into home-life due to coronavirus.
“Working out how to structure my day to get the most out of it was the biggest learning curve,” she said.
“Pretty soon you realise that you can actually complete more work with a good structure in place as you don’t have the usual social office interactions that you experience in a normal working atmosphere.
“On the flip-side of that, you also don’t have the social day-to-day contact where you can just catch up around the water cooler. It’s important to reach out to others, especially those that have a positive impact on you, to help keep a good mindset.
“Try to structure your day. Treat each day like you would any work day. Have your normal starting and finishing hours, ensure you have designated break times and try to keep your home office time separated from actual home time.”
As of 2020, Tanya is a bonafide gun who never needs to leave the comfort of her own home to make the best of her career.
Although, she said to get to that point took a lot of work and sometimes some help from outside resources.
“I have a list of the most important tasks to do for the day and then slot things in where required. If you’re multitasking I’ve found an app called Milanote fantastic and for time allocation there’s TimeCamp,” she said.
“Also try not to have your social media open as it’s easy to get sucked into that vortex, unless of course it’s for work or marketing purposes — this can be a stellar way of keeping up, or in front of your competitors, especially if you’re a small business owner.
“Find time to learn something new. There are heaps of online courses you can take to increase your knowledge base to help streamline your day and skillset.”
Tanya’s quick tips for making the best of working from home:
● Get yourself in a correct seating position with a comfortable chair;
● Take a break from your computer every hour. Take a walk, get fresh air, stretch;
● Write a list every morning and tick off every completed task as you go;
● Maintain positive social interaction through the work day; and
● Limit unnecessary social media use.
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