WORKING FROM HOME!

Hello Cafe Peeps! 

Since COVID-19 came on the scene, there has been an increase of people working from home.  For some, it has been an easy adjustment, but for others it has been a challenge.         

  I've been working from home in a remote position for about 3 years now and I have found these tips have helped me be successful.   

1) Start a spiritual routine before one starts the day:  This is a must when starting my day. It helps keep me focused and centers me.   

2) Carve out a certain time of day and tell your family (or whoever you live with) not to interrupt you during this time.  This is important in maintaining a professional atmosphere.  I have said to my family "Consider me not here" during the time of day where I was working.

3)  Before starting your workday, make sure you have everything you need at your workstation. That way you do not have to get up and look for everything last minute.  

4) Always check emails before starting your day just in case something has changed on your job.  

5)  When working on a platform one is not used to (ex. Zoom), due a test run a few days before to troubleshoot any problems.   Platforms can crash, and other technical issues can come up . If one is not familiar with the platform this can be a headache at the time of a meeting or another important work event. 

6)  Sign into your online meeting at least 5 minutes early. If one is hosting the meeting, start setting up 30 minutes ahead of time just to make sure everything is working correctly. 

7) Treat the online meeting like one would if they were in a meeting at work.

8) Mute is your friend. If you are not talking or responding, put yourself on mute. Having a noisy background is not only distracting to you but it can be distracting to your coworkers.

9)  Ask your supervisor if you can work at home more often.  Now is the time to get the most out of this opportunity. 

10)  Finally, be professional as possible during your time working from home. That will give the impression to your supervisors and your colleagues that you can adapt to different situations.  ***All blogs in Katara's Corner are written by Katara Johnson!*** ****blogs uploaded by sface5 of The Starting 5****