For many Bay Area residents staying at home during the shelter-in-place order, working from home is a new experience.
That's not the case for Ariana Arghandewal, a business and travel writer.
"I have about 10 years of experience working from home," Arghandewal said.
With a decade under her belt, we asked Ariana for her most imprortant advice for work-at-home newbies. Here's what she said:
- Set a daily routine. Decide what time you'll "clock in" each day, when you'll take breaks for lunch, and when you'll shut it down and return to your personal life.
- Stick to that schedule. It can be tempting to sleep in one day or take a long lunch, promising yourself that you'll work later to make up for lost time. Arghandewal and other telecommuting experts suggest you'll be more productive if you keep consistent hours.
- Designate a dedicated work space. If you don't already have a home office, Arghandewal says you might want to create a temporary one with an available desk or table. Ideally, it should be a place that limits distractions, so you can stay focused for several hours at a time.
“I know it’s tempting to sit in bed and wear your pajamas and just hang out -- watch a little too much Netflix," Arghandewal said. "But that obviously isn’t very productive, so you really have to mimic your normal routine when you’re working from home.”
If you're still having difficulty adjusting to doing business at home, consider reaching out to your company's human resources department. They very likely have resources to help you cope, until everyone is cleared to return to the office.
