My best work from home tips.

Given our new pandemic normal, you may have found a shift in your work/life routine and the choice is not ours to make. All we can do is adapt. Making the transition to work from home may not be easy if you’re used to the classic office setting. My business, Oak Street Social, is one of several companies that has been working remotely for years now. When we made our switch from office life to home life, we had to learn how to work and collaborate together digitally. From this, we’ve taken a few helpful hacks that I can share with you to help you make the adjustment to working remotely.

Hint: It’s not as hard as it seems; it just takes discipline.

1. Plan out your day in chunks. So you want to resume your regular 9-5 work life but don’t know where to start without structure? This tip is for you. Aside from creating an agenda for the day (which you should DEFINITELY do), list out all your projects, prioritizing the ones that need major attention first. Then, coordinate a time frame for each project. (For example : Client Call; 30min). This will help you assign an allotted time to each task and help you lay out your day. This is a REALLY helpful tip for those of us who are extreme perfectionists and can get carried away with working on one project for too long. (not a bad thing per se, but definitely unproductive in terms of big picture objectives) As much as we would love to perfect one thing until it’s flawless, sometimes, you can get carried away and lose focus on other tasks that matter just as much. So remember to do your best work but remember that you also need to move on. I prefer to tackle my biggest priorities in the early AM hours.

2. Prioritize driving revenue. We get it, times are tough. You want your business to thrive but don’t want to come off as insensitive. Completely relatable! However, now is not the time to go “ghost” on your social platforms or on any efforts that could potentially bring in any extra cash. At the end of the day, all businesses (whether small or large), need to make money to sustain themselves and their employees. As cliche as it may sound, I send all my sales pitch emails in the morning. Studies show that early morning emails are more likely to be seen by recipients and demand their attention at the start of the day. For this reason, I make it a habit to try to do all my cold calls/emails/replies first few hours of my day. After all, growing your business during the pandemic is not easy, and you should take advantage of opportunities that can help you flourish while you pivot your strategy.

3. Take advantage of apps + software. There are SO many great tools that are available on the market for your business to use. And the best part is, many of them are free, or give you a trial period to test them out. My business uses design apps like Canva and Over to help design beautiful photos, stories, and more for our clients. We also use Google Docs to collaborate and work on our projects together, allowing us to make comments, edits and more on the same page. There is no better time to be researching and planning how to further your business strategy than now. Because of the current pandemic, many (like us), are even offering FREE online courses and tools to give you the information you need to know. Implementing a routine of continuously learning will help you adapt with the changing climate, and better prepare your business for the future as well.

4. Plan time to “log off”. With any job, work can be stressful. Luckily, many of us are fortunate enough to not have to bring issues we encounter throughout the day home with us. However, when you begin working from home, you might find it difficult to separate your personal life from your work life. It’s important that you develop a habit where you know when to “log off” at the end of your day and that your work is complete. It’s crucial for your mental health to take a break when needed, and close your laptop when your day is over. If you don’t finish a project, give yourself the mental clearance to complete it the following day when you are fresh.

5. Seize the day. There’s a common misconception that those of us who work from home are unproductive or are constantly distracted (which couldn’t be further from the truth.) Working from home is far from easy, whether you’re an entrepreneur who’s just starting out, or a seasoned business owner. The fact of the matter is: there is beauty in working from home. Many of us choose to work from home because we enjoy the flexibility that comes with creating our own schedules. Sometimes that means waking up at 5 am, and sometimes that means working until 3 am. Typically, I would find myself working from 9-5 with a minor break in between. But, with my children being out of school and having to tailor to their schedules too, I can’t constantly keep up with everything. And sometimes you just need to remember that that’s OK. There’s nothing wrong with breaking away to spend time with your family, to pick the kids up from school, or to just decompress. As long as you’re consistently putting your best work forward in a timely manner, make the day YOUR own.

There is so much more I could cover but these five tips are all you need to survive at the 50,000 ft level. The current transition may not be easy, but with some practice and consistency, you too can conquer the “work-from-home” life. Heck, you might prefer it in the grand scheme of things once you do have clearance to go back to the office. At least you have real-life experience with both to truly understand where you thrive!

If you’re interested in learning more about my company, Oak Street Social, and what we can do to help you during this time, click here. We host live sessions weekly covering an abundance of new topics, cultivate conversation amongst our group members and are here to answer any questions that you may have about keeping your business afloat.

Make it a great week! xx