Smart Working: how to get organized to work well from home

The Coronavirus emergency has shown that Smart Working is a precious possibility for many workers. Here are 5 tips on how to get organized better!

After years that seemed to hover in the air. Smart Working has become a reality for many workers of Italian companies, forced home due to the COVID-19 emergency. The so-called ” Agile Work ” or “Telework” has revolutionized the lives of many. In fact, staying at home allows you to have greater freedom in terms of schedules. And to manage family tasks more easily. However, distractions are just around the corner. And so is the risk of indolence or, on the contrary, continuous work stress. For this, there is a need to know how to organizing order to perform their duties at best.

So, we have compiled these 5 tips on how to work well in Smart Working. Which will be useful even after this period of isolation in your own homes. In addition to revealing the great resource of remote work, this Coronavirus quarantine period is giving you the opportunity to do activities that we would normally overlook, such as these:

1. Get up as if you were going to work

You don’t have to take the metro or the car to go to work. However, it’s not a good reason to lose the rhythm of the weekdays: of course, you can give yourself a little more time to sleep. But don’t go overboard. Wake up anyway an hour or an hour and a half before your office hours start. And take advantage of the fact that you don’t have to move through busy streets at rush hour to do something you normally don’t have time. Some exercises to stay fit or to relax your mind and body, such as yoga, a relaxing shower. And a long breakfast- not in a hurry as usual – is already a great start. You will simply have to establish a new daily ritual that is different from the one on holiday.

2. Don’t work in bed

Probably, this is the biggest temptation of Smart Working: working in bed. If you choose to work in the heat of sheets and blankets, the problem is that at 11 there is a risk of a first nap and another siesta at 14, immediately after lunch. In addition, the elongated position, in this case, hurts the back. Therefore, you should set up a place dedicated only to work. The table in the living room or kitchen, or the desk in the room: the important thing is that that space becomes your new office workstation.

You prefer an illuminated environment and prepare what you need: agenda, post-it notes, pencils, pens, paperclips, water and snacks for snacks. What matters is that you have everything at hand and do not have to get up too often from your position, with the risk of giving in to some distraction. For the same reason, keep the book you are finishing reading, the TV remote control and other objects that may distract you away from your new desk.

3. Maintain contact with colleagues

In these times of forced Smart Working due to Coronavirus, communication is fundamental! It is important to continue conversing with colleagues throughout the day. Through chats and all platforms dedicated to video calls and video conferences, meetings. And other decisions to be made are simple enough to organize and schedule. The management of everyone’s tasks remains individual since at home the same role is played as in the office, but it is always good to keep in touch with the rest of the team to be able to coordinate for some important strategy or work.

4. Respect times and breaks

For some companies, when working in Smart Working, working hours are more flexible. While for others they remain unchanged. In any case, you can run into one of the risks of Agile Work, that of letting yourself be carried away. Since there are no journeys to make and one is already at home, it is easy to lose track of time.

Do not forget to take the same breaks as a classic working day – 15 minutes of break every two hours. To have lunch at around 1 pm, exactly as you do at work. And avoid protractingoffice hours too long. In the same way, however, do not give in to some distraction while you are working: working from home is also an act of trust on the part of the company and you must complete all your tasks in the best way. To help you, put on some background music that helps you stay focused and isolate you from the outside world.

5. Separate work from your private life

This advice is especially aimed at those who do not live alone. Having a roommate or family at home, with a partner and maybe even children can be a source of distraction during business hours. In this case, it is important to know how to balance between the tasks to be performed for the office and those at home and family. After setting up your home office workstation, talk to those who live with you and explain how you intend to manage your day, making your needs understood to concentrate and keep attention and productivity high.

In the same way, during breaks and at the end of the day, “get rid” of work and the PC, shifting the focus on the people who live with you, especially if you are children. In this way, you will not make anyone feel excluded and you will be able to perfectly combine work and private life. If you live alone, the same procedure applies: when you disconnect, call your friends or family, dedicating time to interpersonal relationships.