working from home

These are trying times for everyone. COVID-19 is the biggest crisis we’ve faced since World War 2. As of writing this, the number of infections has passed the one million mark. Lockdown measures are enforced on a third of humanity. School closures impact the education of 87% of the world’s student population. In the business sector, there has been a sudden increase in the number of employees who work from home. Yes, these facts are heavy-hitting. Chances are, you’ve been affected by the coronavirus crisis and are struggling to make sense of what’s going on. Maybe your boss has ordered you to work from home. What’s more, your kids’ school is closed and the young ones are around 24/7. They’re feeling grumpy, bored, and even act out more just from being stuck at home around the clock. Ever felt this one? Suddenly you find yourself in the middle of the kitchen with a pile of dirty dishes to wash. The toddler is crying, and your teen is sulking in his room. It’s mid-afternoon, but you haven’t finished even a third of the work your boss assigned you. What do you do? Can you survive this lifestyle until lockdown ends? What if things don’t get better soon, but worse? If this sounds like you, take a deep breath. That’s it. In and out. Then, start moving forward. In this blog, I’ll show you how to juggle working from home and taking care of the kids. I’ll share the secrets I use to run five brands on a completely remote basis (for now, I’ve put two brands completely on hold to find margin and juggle it all with homeschooling now added to my to-do list). You’ll find out: How to be more productive than you ever were at the office How to create the perfect workspace What to do with the kids when you need to work And more! I’ve also gathered input from my team of expert writers, content strategists, and QA personnel who work entirely from home. Their suggestions and tips are gold because like all freelancers (except the superhuman ones who work passionately from dawn till dusk) they too once struggled with productivity. So, are you ready to start turning things around? Let’s begin! What’s in this post: The Top 10 Tips You Need to Work From Home without Going Insane 1. Remind Yourself it’s not the Weekend 2. Throw Your PJs in the Laundry Basket 3. Feel Free to Stretch and Look out the Window 4. Find Your Biological Prime Time 5. Send the Kids Away 6. Set Boundaries 7. Surround Yourself with Comfort and Beauty 8. Invest in Quality Tools 9. Keep Your Social Life Alive 10. Take Care of Yourself Three Tips on How Businesses Can Help Their Teams Work from Home 1. Set Your Team Up with the Right Tools 2. Keep Communicating 3. Provide Training Working from Home: Is it Possible to Do it without Going Insane? [bctt tweet=”These are trying times for everyone. Lockdown measures now affect 1/3 of humanity. If you’re forced to work from home… now what? These 10 tips are here for you via the #WFH veterans at Express Writers ♥” username=”ExpWriters”] The Top 10 Tips You Need to Work Productively at Home without Going Insane Unless you were homeschooled (I was! My life in a cult growing up meant I was homeschooled every day until 12th grade), you started following a structured lifestyle from the age of three. Playgroup. Kindergarten. Elementary school. High school. College. Work. Get up in the morning. Have breakfast. Go to school/work. Get home. Dinner. Homework/assignments from the boss. Watch TV. Sleep. Yes, you groaned and complained about it (good-humoredly, of course). But the fact is human beings crave routine. It makes us feel secure. It helps us avoid the “unknown.” It satisfies us because it forces us to get things done. So, what happens when our routine is suddenly removed? When we have to let go of our structured lives and face day after day of fluid time we don’t know what to do with? Chaos. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Read on to find out 10 secrets expert WFH’ers use to put their own structure on life. 1. Remind Yourself it’s Not the Weekend Feeling tempted not to set your alarm for Monday morning? After all, you don’t have to arrive at the office at 9am sharp. Just do it. Just set that alarm. “Working from home – luxurious or tedious? The answer – BOTH,” says Cassie, our team QA and content writer at Express Writers. “For someone who has never worked from home before, it can seem like a great time. However, it takes a lot of time, commitment and perseverance to get into a routine that works. Routine is the key word, because, without it, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with everything on your list of things to-do. Start by building a schedule that fits your work and family’s needs. Then STICK TO IT! No matter what.” [bctt tweet=”Working from home – luxurious or tedious? The answer – BOTH. – Cassie, QA and content writer for EW. Read more tips and lessons from our 100% remote staff ‍ , now on the Write Blog.” username=”ExpWriters”] The key is to get structured. Wake up at the same time each morning. Make breakfast a special time for your family. Set a specific schedule. Don’t limit yourself to writing a To-Do list. Set a time for each item on the list. Plan activities for the kids in advance. I love Khan Academy Kids and Education.com as resources for great activities that also educate. Go to bed on time. “Plan your day ahead, because you won’t have as much time available as you think,” says Lorien, our team’s client success agent based in South Africa. “Try to set a schedule for yourself during your ‘working hours’ so that you remain productive. If you spend a lot of time behind your computer, … Read more