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WFH tips to help you stay motivated

Working from home can be wonderful, and that’s why some professionals are hoping it won’t end. If you’re one of the lucky ones who don’t need to return to the workplace from 5 April, we’re glad for you!

While it can be difficult for parents with children, the comforts of being in one’s safe space can sometimes make it easier to focus. Who doesn’t love having the power to turn on their favourite tunes and adjust the air-conditioner to one’s desired temperature?

However, there are ugly truths to it. You would probably agree that your work-life balance has gone haywire and might make you even lazier than before. Not needing to be up early, dress up, or having eyeballs watching you surf the net mindlessly can make it easier to become demotivated.

If so, how can we enjoy the benefits of working from home while staying motivated enough to be productive? Here are some tips to help you stay motivated.

#1: Set a schedule

When working from home, it is easy to develop lousy scheduling habits.

The temptation to turn on your work laptop in bed or check your email from the couch after 6pm can be hard to resist. Thus, it is crucial to set boundaries around your work life and ensure that you work during specific hours and rest when it’s time.

Setting a regular schedule will also improve your sleep pattern and your health in general.

#2: Get dressed before 9am

Image Credits: The Western Journal

Suppose that you start work at 9am, then dress up as you would if you were heading to the office.

Putting on a corporate outfit may help us refocus our mindset that it’s time to get the workday started. It’s almost the same theory as when you change to workout clothes before hitting the gym.

Treat this form of fashion as a boundary for yourself. When we have “work clothes” and “casual clothes” on, it can aid us to distinguish the kind of behaviour we should be engaging in.

#3: Separate your workspace

It is comfortable to work from our nice beds or comfy couches. However, humans are creatures of habit.

Associating our sleep areas with our work can interfere with sleep patterns. Similarly, working in a space we associate with relaxation can be a challenge for getting jobs done.

If you’ve been doing that, maybe it’s time you set up a dedicated, separate workspace to help you stay focus on completing your daily tasks.

#4: Work in chunks

a woman working at home with a table filled with documents

Image Credits: HRM Asia

Chunking is a strategy to take if you are often assigned large tasks. By breaking it down into smaller chunks, it is made more approachable and less discouraging.

For example, reading a lengthy report is hard, but reading one section can be a cinch. Instead of worrying that there is a detailed report to write this week, focus on completing a small unit within a stipulated time frame.

That is a much more achievable and far less daunting goal.

#5: Use the 30-minute technique

Speaking of breaking up big tasks into smaller ones, the 30-minute technique might go hand-in-hand.

We’re often faced with tasks that we find boring. Or perhaps you would rather prefer to be doing something else. Whatever the case may be, make yourself a deal when you find it hard to get started.

Tell yourself that you will work for 30 minutes and then take a short break. Most of the time, you might find that once you build a little momentum on a task, it’s easier to bring it to completion. Even if you don’t, working for 30 minutes is better than idling without getting anything done.

#6: Take a short walk before dabao-ing lunch

Image Credits: The Straits Times

Our brains need breaks. One of the best things to do on a one-hour lunch break is to go outside.

Instead of ordering in using GrabFood, foodpanda, or your go-to food delivery service, why not take a short walk before you go dabao your lunch?

Heading outdoors exposes us to sunlight and fresh air, which your body will thank you for. Plus, the change of scenery and pace is an excellent way to refresh your eyes and brain. Who knows, you might even gain new inspiration for an idea or project you’re stuck at?

#7: Give yourself a reward

Deciding to treat yourself to your favourite snack for dinner if you draw up that PowerPoint presentation for your boss can help push you to get started.

Or maybe you’ve been wanting to watch that latest launch on Netflix but haven’t started yet. If so, why not settle your job’s administrative work first and then tune in as soon as the clock strikes 6pm?

A little incentive as a nudge can go a long way to keep you moving.

Final thoughts

Image Credits: MSIG Singapore

Working at home can be an enriching and desirable lifestyle. But that lifestyle does bring unique challenges if we allow it to rule our lives.

If you need some motivation, try following some of the abovementioned tips to establish boundaries between your work and home life. This could help you manage your workload during the day and officially “knock-off” from work when you should.

How To Alter Your Budget To Suit Your Work From Home Lifestyle

According to the multi-ministry task force handling COVID-19, Singapore may enter Phase Three by the end of 2020 should the community cases remain low in the country. The restrictions reflected by this upcoming phase may last for a year or more. That being said, more and more people are working from home.

This huge shift in the global workplace has brought many changes in our lives. Whenever big transitions occur, it is a good opportunity to re-assess all the aspects of our lives including our finances. What has changed in your budget ever since you started working from home?

Reduced costs on transportation, work clothing, daily coffee stops, and dining out were usually observed in the previous months. In contrast, many experience a spike in utilities, groceries, and online shopping fees. How can you better prepare for your future with this new set-up?

#1: RE-EVALUATE WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING

Get a realistic view of your finances by pulling out your bank statements, credit card bills, and other month expenses from the past three months. If you are using a budgeting app such as Mint, you may track your spending using the information inside the app. Look for unnecessary categories or recurring expenses that you can do without. This will help you spend less than what you have originally planned.

Aside from your spending, concentrate on other parts of your personal finance such as investments and emergency funds. You have the luxury of time to re-evaluate how much you are saving in your emergency funds. Ensure that the money you put inside will be sufficient to cover unforeseen events such as unemployment. We must overcome complacency during these tough times.

#2: CONSIDER DIFFERENT BUDGETING STRATEGIES

As you establish your new budget to suit your work from home lifestyle, you may employ different strategies such as goal-specific budget and the 50/30/20 method. The former focuses on the goal and not the percentages. You may start with a specific short-term goal such as saving S$50 for your emergency fund this week or a long-term goal such as putting away S$5,000 for a vacation next year. Break down your goals and allot how much you need to save per week or per month. Ensure that you meet your other financial responsibilities as you prepare for your goals too.

The 50/30/20 method entails putting 50% of your take-home pay to your fixed expenses including groceries and rent. 30% needs to go to your variable expenses such as entertainment and clothing. While, 20% is dedicated to your savings. Choose a strategy that will best work for you.

#3: STORE EXTRA CASH IN YOUR HOME

Many of us are working from home because there has been a shift in the economy due to the unpleasant effects of the pandemic. It helps to be prepared as we live within the realms of uncertainty. Store extra cash in your home for emergency situations. You may label this as your emergency fund, which can cover your expenses for at least six to nine months.

Knowing that you will be alright for a considerable amount of time before needing to use other financial resources can help you sleep better at night. This will prevent you from incurring debts.

#4: MAXIMIZE YOUR TELECOM AND INTERNET PLANS

Because most of our time are spent at home, it comes as no surprise that our utilities are higher now. Do your best to ensure that you are getting the most out of your telecom and internet plans. If your plan has an inclusion of data, try to substitute a costly mobile call for calling over at WhatsApp or Telegram. Various online platforms offer free calling and video-conferencing services worldwide. Take advantage of that!

#5: CONSERVE ENERGY

This new living and working arrangements have considerable effects on our electric bills. As much as possible, conserve energy on the devices and appliances that you work with. Unfavorable habits such as leaving your laptop constantly plugged in or forgetting to unplug your smartphone charger can cost you.

Image Sources: unsplash.com

One of the easiest ways to save energy is by ensuring that your cables or chargers are unplugged. Most devices work best with the 40-80 battery rule. You must plug the charger when your battery drops below 40% and disconnect the plug when the battery reaches 80%. Leaving a laptop or handphone constantly plugged in can cause extra wear and tear to the battery. Take care of the devices, which you use on a regular basis.

Sources: 1, 2 & 3

10 things you need to know about heading back to the office from Sep 28

Are you already in the office to start the new week? Or have received a work schedule from your employer regarding the days you should physically report for work? While some can’t wait to get their office routine back, many are sitting on the fence after being used to working from home amid the pandemic.

Here are 10 things you need to know if you’re called back to the office from Sep 28.

#1: Employer has the right to ask you back

Even if your job can be done from home, your employer has the right to ask you to return back to the office. However, you should be allowed to work from home for at least half of your working time.

In addition to that, your employer must ensure that not more than 50% of the people who can work from home are in the office at any one time.

Those who are working part-time will keep to a pro-rated system. For example, if you normally work four days a week, you should only be in the office 2 days a week.

#2: Cannot return to the office full-time on the basis of the home being unconducive for work

As we’ve mentioned earlier, if your job can be completed from home, you should be doing so at least for half your working time. You should not return to the office full-time just because home is an unconducive work environment to get your job done.

This is because employers will need to explain the business or operational reasons if their staff are not working from home for the period as advised by the authorities.

#3: Leave days count towards the total number of days you spend working from home

Image Credits: FlexJobs

This may be a little tricky to understand so here’s an example to aid us in explaining:

Based on a five-day workweek, you will be allowed to go back to the office for 2.5 days a week. But should you decide to take two days off, your boss can still require you to go back to the office for 2.5 days. With that said, you will spend the remaining 0.5-day working from home.

#4: External meetings and events count towards the number of days you spend in the office

Employees who need to attend to work meetings and events outside the office can count their time as time spent in the workplace.

#5: You may go back to the office for regular meetings

While meetings should be conducted virtually as far as possible amid the pandemic, your boss may ask you to head back to the office for meetings.

Employers can consider a flexible work arrangement for staff to go back to the office only for meetings and work from home for the rest of the day.

#6: Inform your employer if you have a medical condition that has weakened your immune system

Image Credits: Freepik

You should inform your employer if you’re undergoing a chronic medical condition with a compromised immune system. Your employer should make arrangements to allow you to work from home and provide the necessary IT equipment needed. If that can’t be done, a temporary redeployment to another role within the company might do the trick.

However, if the above-mentioned arrangements can’t be made, your employer can still ask you to return to the office. But there must be at least 1m of space set between you and your colleagues.

#7: Avoid interacting with colleagues as usual

Heading back to the office doesn’t mean that interaction is back to normal. Keep to these rules at the workplace:

Wear a mask at all times, unless impossible due to the nature of your work or the work environment.
Be 1m apart from your colleagues in the office, including at your workstation and during meetings.
Do not gather in groups larger than the prevailing permitted group size for social gatherings. This includes meal times or smoke breaks.

#8: Only work-related events of up to 50 people can take place in the office

Work-related events include:

Meetings
Training sessions
Townhalls
Corporate retreats
Tender briefings to vendors and business conferences
Onboarding or retrenchment exercises

Celebrations, parties, dinner and dance events, team bonding activities or gala dinners are not considered work-related events under the latest update by the authorities.

Also, food and drinks should not be served at such events where possible. But if absolutely necessary, individuals must be seated and served, with meal durations kept short.

#9: Employers should implement flexible workplace arrangements

singapore office with safe distancing in place

Image Credits: The Straits Times

Employers should embrace flexible workplace arrangements. For example, stagger start times to avoid crowding. There can also be a shift or split team operations to minimize interactions between different teams. Employees may also consider asking their staff to work from home in the morning but return to the office after lunchtime.

#10: Can I report my employer if rules are not kept to?

Yes, you should do so via the SnapSAFE app. Download the app via the App Store or the Google Play Store.

How To Master Working From Home With Kids Around

With the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic and our compliance to social distancing guidelines, many of us have transformed our homes into offices. Your home is an oasis, except when you are forced to mix your personal life with your professional life. Schools may have opened last June, but some rotate between online and on-campus lessons. It is a gradual transition that comes with the new normal.

The “no kids allowed in the office” rule no longer applies to us. Employees and business owners are now juggling their household duties with their workplace tasks. Some find it a struggle to create a peaceful environment free from the distractions created by their children, pets, or younger siblings. Just take a look at the video below!

TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN

It is important to talk to your children about what is happening around them. Ensure that you are explaining the situation at an age-appropriate level. Some children may understand the safety restrictions, while others may see the pandemic as an unreasonable limitation.

Explain to them that we are looking out for each other during this pandemic. Part of how we help each other right now is by staying at home. Sometimes, a change in perception is all that we need.

ESTABLISH A SCHEDULE

One of the benefits of working at home is flexibility. Write down your priorities for the day and set them within your working hours. If you’re married, you may explore alternating schedules in coordination with your partner and your children. This will help you manage your household chores and office tasks accordingly.

Have an agreed schedule with your employer to ensure that you are filling in the required number of hours per day. Given that most of us work from home, some employers may understand the need for non-traditional schedules.

FOCUS ON YOUR PRIORITIES

Prioritize your work by accomplishing important tasks first. There will be interruptions along the way and it will take longer than usual. This is why you accomplish urgent tasks in the morning and save the minor tasks later in the day.

Avoid unexpected yells and loud noises in the background by hitting the mute button during conference calls. Toddlers will not understand that they cannot always have your undivided attention. If your toddler seeks your attention during a business call, you may ask to reschedule if you can. Minor tasks such as replying to client comments on social media may be done while your children are sleeping.

CREATE SNACK AND PLAY STATION

Find a spacious corner in your home and assign that as the “snack and play station”. Prepare a bunch of snacks and drinks for your children and instruct them on how much they can consume per day. Aside from this, you may let your child’s creativity run wild through free-play. Provide books, art materials, and other learning materials such as puzzles and blocks within this station.

Tackle your workload while your kids are having fun and playing safely on the corner.

PLAN FOR INTERRUPTIONS

Think of alternative strategies to minimize the disruptions from your family members. Firstly, you can take advantage of naptime. Do bulk of your heavy tasks during this time. Whether your child sleeps for one to three hours, use this time to complete tasks that seek your focus and concentration.

You may also setup a virtual meeting between your children and your relatives while you work. Ask a friend or a family member for a favor to teach your children a new skill while they are chatting online. Connecting your children to their friends and their grandparents through Skype, Zoom, or Facetime can be helpful to their well being too.

SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Let us face it! There are no professional advantages to pretending things are the way they used to be. Reduce your anxiety and manage everyone’s expectations by being honest with your coworkers. Tell them what is going on in your home office.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Similarly, you must be honest with yourself when it comes to your abilities in handling your children. You cannot turn into a good teacher overnight. Be patient with yourself and your children throughout the process.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

Surefire Ways To Maximize Working From Home

With the Circuit Breaker period put in place, work from home became the new normal. And while your co-worker diligently sends out emails at 8 am or messages some ideas to brainstorm on Monday, I can assure you that he or she would rather do something else at home.

This work from setup is not for everyone. It is harder from some people, and you may be suffering from anxiety already. For starters, there seems to be more work to be done as the company wants to ensure that you maximize your time. Secondly, there are constant distractions such as your clingy household pet or sister’s loud Kdrama show. Thirdly, your mother may be asking you to help around the house. Lastly, you may feel gloomy due to the uncertainty of the current pandemic.

While our tasks our different, one thing remains the same. We need to get our job done! We need to clock in at a certain time, check emails, attend Zoom meetings, and message our clients. While you have read almost all the tips surrounding the at-home office setup, each person’s experience will be completely different.

The struggle is real. The question is, what do you do about it? Here are five tips that can help you during the CB work-from-home period.

#1: TIDY UP YOUR SPACE

If you have been working in an open-space layout, then you know how it feels to not have a desk of your own. Well, now is the time to personalize your space and to get your interior design hats on. Brighten up your workspace by putting family pictures or indoor plants. Having a dedicated and decorated area makes it more inviting for you to work.

#2: TAKE BITE-SIZED BREAKS

One round of Design Home or Mobile Legends app did not hurt anyone. You may also indulge in an episode of Money Heist or take a 30-minute long nap. All of these mini-breaks enable you to work productively at home. No one is going to stop you, anyway! Ensure that you are following the deadlines and scheduled meetings set by your boss. Do not forget to provide the output that he or she needs. Get that all-important water break to nourish you throughout the day too!

#3: KNOW WHEN TO STOP

This tip goes hand-in-hand with the previous one. There must be clear boundaries set in place for all of us working from home. Because all communications are done through the email or through the phone, we tend to forget that we are already working beyond our working hours. Setting boundaries is not just for your boss. It is for your own mental and physical health too. Go offline when you are done for the day. Do a non-work related activity to ease your mind too. Take an hour of hot bath or yin yoga. Enjoy anything that will keep your mind and hands off your tools for work!

#4: DRESS COMFORTABLY

Find a style that works for you. If you find that you are more productive by wearing pajamas then, do that. Others may feel the need to get dressed in uniform to set the tone for their work day. It is all in the matter of preference. There is no pressure to dress nicely as you will only sit in your home office. However, you must dress appropriately for video conferences or online meetings.

#5: COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

Communication is essential to help you survive this setup. Talk to your co-workers about the task at hand. Ensure that no details are wrong or misunderstood. Talk to your boss about the support you need to get for a particular project. Communicating what you need and how you feel will bridge the gap between the online and offline processes. It can also be a way for you to reduce your stress.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

At the end of the day, it is really up to you to find a flow that would help you stay productive and efficient while enjoying your work-from-home setup.