Daily Tribune (Philippines)

Acing work from home

Instead of spending time for travel, use the time now to prepare your workspace.

- By Care S. Balleras

The new normal moved us to transform our homes into our offices as well. While people are still debating with the pros and cons of working remotely, getting into a certain attitude goes a long way for achieving success especially when work within the confines of a small space.

Here are eight tips to ace working from home:

1. Look presentabl­e

Make yourself presentabl­e during virtual meetings. Stick to muted colors of clothing to avoid distractio­n in the screen.

Wash your face to avoid registerin­g an oily face in your colleagues’ screens. Despite not having someone to reprimand the way you look during the meetings, keep in mind that you are a profession­al.

2. Prepare your workspace

Instead of spending time for travel, use the time now to prepare your workspace. Make sure that your work and personal stuff do not mix-up so whenever a certain material is needed, you can easily show it.

Ensure that your gadget is well-charged and you are using a stable table and chair. Lastly, make your space bright and clear so you can be energized in working and can be easily seen during meetings.

3. Avoid distractio­ns

After prepping up the workspace, prepare yourself mentally. Avoid playing games and using social media apps while a meeting is ongoing.

And always be ready with the agenda and outputs needed for that day.

4. Be on time

Punctualit­y is especially important even when you’re online. If the meeting is at 4 p.m., arrange your laptop and internet connection 30 minutes earlier so you won’t distract your fellows if you enter late in the group chat.

5. Take breaks

The most challengin­g part in working from home is the blurred line between work and personal time. It is important to designate which time is for work and which is for leisure.

During leisure, avoid checking workrelate­d stuff and get back to it when it is already time. Do the things that make you happy during your free time to avoid burnout.

6. Keep everyone updated

Despite being far from your workmates, always keep everyone posted. Maintain brevity in every update by telling them your progress and your pending. Do not invade your work mates’ time with unnecessar­y rants.

7. Stay hydrated

This may be a basic tip, but screen fatigue is rampant nowadays and the best way to combat it aside from rest is staying hydrated. You will also need sufficient oxygen to keep up with all the informatio­n from meetings and webinars.

8. Make it toxic-free

If you have no pending works, lend a helping hand to your colleague whom you think need help with stuff. Uplifting messages can also give a big difference to your work mates’ day especially during these uncertain times.

 ?? PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF FORBES.COM ?? Keeping positive helps one stay strong and steady despite the crisis.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF FORBES.COM Keeping positive helps one stay strong and steady despite the crisis.
 ?? PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF UNSPLASH/ANDREW NEEL ?? Take a break and have a cup of coffee even when working at home.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF UNSPLASH/ANDREW NEEL Take a break and have a cup of coffee even when working at home.
 ?? PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF NATHAN WATERS/UNSPLASH ?? Always ensure that your gadgets are well-charged.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF NATHAN WATERS/UNSPLASH Always ensure that your gadgets are well-charged.

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