Covid-19 challenges the world than ever. To reduce the spread of the virus, all the activities now are undertaken remotely. So, let’s find out some tips for learning and working from home effectively in this post.
Crisis, New Disease, Epidemic, Coronavirus, Difficult Times… that are the words to point out our current biggest concern: Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, it is not hard to realize that the pandemic has turned the world upside down. Every field, every corner of our lives has been impacted, including finance, environment, population, and even the way people learn, work, live, communicate, etc. At this crisis period, many schools and organizations require their students and staff to self-isolate.
Image by fernando zhiminaicela from Pixabay
As can be seen, with those who are new to learning and working remotely, it seems quite challenging. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, less interaction, less communication, less responsibility, there are tons of things distracting you. However, that doesn’t mean it’s unachievable. So, are you ready? Get out of your bed now and read the rest of this article to master the art of learning and working from home.
#1. Stick with your regular schedule
First of all, remember to keep yourself to regular working hours. That may be the important key to maintaining a work-life balance.
Image by Bella H. from Pixabay
We all know that we may have some extra time in bed without a commute, but try to follow your normal work routine to stay productive. Let’s wake up around the same time everyday. This helps to wake your mind and get you into the “I’m going to study/work” mindset.
If you are used to starting your day with a cup of milk or coffee, just do it. If you normally attend Drawing club after school, practice Yoga or Zumba after work, nothing can delay you. You can still do those things, in your home, now. Don’t change it, just adjust to being more flexible. Thanks to that, you may feel happier with life and find it easier to focus on your home-based learning and working throughout the day.
#2. Create a separate workspace
This is one of the tips for learning and working from home productively. Some may think that they can learn or work everywhere, even in bed. However, let’s get that thinking out of mind from now on. Try to set aside a workspace separate from your sleeping area. This seems like a trivial thing but actually, it sends a message to your brain that it’s time for work, not a holiday.
Image by fancycrave1 from Pixabay
A separate room with a spacious workspace is really ideal. However, if you don’t already have one, let’s find a small place instead. Just a small desk beside the bookshelf or a laptop set up at the kitchen table can help you conquer the world. Besides, in case you have your children or roommate also learning and working from home, make sure to create a reasonable at-home workspace in order not to distract each other. Sometimes, your own new workspace will bring you more ideas and inspiration to solve all home-based tasks.
#3. Plan out your workflow
That’s right! A detailed to-do list is what you need to have a productive workday. Especially for those who are absent-minded or don’t know where to start among tons of work. This may take a few minutes but will save you much time for your day.
Image Making to-do list from freepik.com
Now, just pick a pen and a piece of paper, jot down everything that needs to be done. Alternatively, you can use a digital schedule depending on your choice. Then rearrange them in priority order to make sure you will do the highest priority tasks when starting learning or working. For students, the order might be: attend online class, do homework, peruse textbooks, prepare new lessons, etc. For employees, checking email and replying to customers, boss or co-workers should be the first line.
In short, learning and working from home seems to be easier with a clear plan. With its help, you won’t leave your work behind at the end of the day. Moreover, it carves out boundaries so that you don’t put yourself to exhaustion.
#4. Get dressed like you are at work
It sounds quite ridiculous. Learning and working from home also implies we can put on pajamas, T-shirts, or sweatpants. However, take note of this if you want to be more productive and successful.
Image Participating online class from home from Freepik.com
In fact, you don’t need to dress as formally as you are at school or the office, but changing clothes serves as a signal that a new day starts. And it’s about time to motivate yourself to get things done. Plus, getting dressed also means taking care of your appearance to be ready for online classes or video call meetings.
As you may know, some companies have “Casual Friday” at the office. They allow workers to wear more casual attire every Friday without lounge suits, dress shirts, uniforms, etc. Notwithstanding, keeping yourself a good look can put you in a totally different frame of mind.
#5. Stay connected with your team
The Covid-19 pandemic can change the way people communicate but that doesn’t mean that it can stop them.
In fact, if you are not used to learning and working from home, you may feel disconnected from your classmates, teachers, and colleagues. But that doesn’t matter. In today’s technology-driven world, telecommuting software can bridge the gap between everyone.
Image Online meeting from Freepik.com
Starting your workday with a “hi” message or positive words to your team is a great way to show your availability. Moreover, you can connect with other team members through video calls to express your opinion, discuss ideas, find out answers and solutions for your exercises or tasks. As a result, you may feel home-based learning and working is not as boring as you thought, it just switches to virtual classes or meetings.
#6. Seize your break time
Have ever you put yourself under stress just because you want to prove that you’re productive at home? Learning or working hard is good but it’s crucial to have “brain breaks”.
Many pieces of research showed that people cannot maintain concentration for a long time, even adults. For this reason, enjoying break time will help to re-energize yourselves and reduce stress when your mind veers off. What’s more, having a break in your schedule may help you manage your time wisely over an entire day.
Image Enjoy break time from Freepik.com
People always have their own ways to take a break such as talking with their roommates or family members, playing with pets, opening the window to get some fresh air, doing some simple yoga postures, feeling the beat, and more. You can have five-minute breaks after every hour learning and working from home or take a 30-minute break at half of morning or afternoon, up to you.
So, you’ve covered six tips for home-based learning and working productively to get through this tough time.
Bonus
Apart from cons, the COVID-19 pandemic also brings us a positive side. It has been challenging the limits of human creativity. That is, we can develop digital technology to adapt to global learning and working needs. In particular, students, teachers, and employees can solve all tasks at home with the help of technology. For example, some applications such as Zoom or Webex will help colleagues to stay connected through online meetings. Meanwhile, when it comes to education, many eLearning tools are available to assist educators to create interesting eLearning courses. And what’s more, not only educators but also a lot of companies have applied eLearning authoring tools to create online training.
Among a wide range of apps in the market, ActivePresenter is always available as a solution to take up home-schooling and home-working challenges. ActivePresenter is a powerful All-in-One screen recorder, video editor, and eLearning authoring tool. It allows creating high-quality eLearning content, professional-looking screencast videos, and interactive software simulations. With a user-friendly interface and easy-to-use features that bring out the best experience for users, ActivePresenter is really worth trying.
Final Words
Hope that you can master these 6 tips for learning and working from home to deal with unusual challenges. And you might even find that the days of learning and working remotely are your most productive days. Don’t forget to try out ActivePresenter to speed up your workflow. If you want to add any comment or share your idea with the world, feel free to drop us a line through our online community, Facebook or Twitter page, YouTube channel.