how to be effective at home?

With the closure of schools and the ban on gatherings, France has implemented exceptional measures to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus Covid-19. Among these measures, Emmanuel Macron put the emphasis on the need for French companies to organize a solution telecommuting. Many have thus decided to open this possibility to their employees. But nothing to panic about! Here are some tips to help you be just as productive at home, if not more so.

1 – Create a real office area

Working for two weeks (at least) on your sofa? Not top. The best is to create a little space dedicated only to work, this will allow you to separate professional and private life. Being sprawled all day will unfortunately not make you more productive! Avoid the sofa and prefer a desk or table to have the best position facing your computer screen. If you telecommute with your spouse, try as much as possible to each have a real office area to be calm and make your phone calls quietly, without disturbing your other half.

2 – Make the effort to prepare

Who says telework generally says pajamas or jogging for the whole day. While this option may well be considered when you work at home once a month, it is not necessarily recommended when working for long periods of time. Ok, we don't ask you to take out the tailor either but at least make the effort to put it on jeans and a sweater. Nothing prevents you either from having comfortable but dressy outfits! Finally, always be careful to keep a tidy and orderly space. And yes, clutter can sometimes be a drag on productivity. So we are not lazy, we RANGE!

3 – Impose fixed hours

Of course you are not at your workplace, but that does not mean that you have to work from 8h to 20h! Impose fixed times each day is more than beneficial since it allows you to set a rhythm in your days. In teleworking, many indeed have the impression of working non-stop and this is frankly not ideal for productivity! Respecting fixed hours is also strongly advised for the well-being of your family and / or your couple. It is always good to divide your time fairly between the "work part" and the "house part".

4 – Keep in touch with colleagues

Away from the eyes, close to the heart they say. Even in periods of confinement, cutting bridges with colleagues is out of the question! It's always good to keep contact to take news, but also and above all to discuss your work and set up systems that will allow you to have a team that is always as efficient. Instant messaging is a great way to chat live, for example, and meetings can even be held remotely. In short, this is an opportunity to regularly see the little heads of your colleagues to cheer you up!

5 – Take real breaks

Are you having trouble concentrating, your neurons loose and your brain stewed? Maybe it's because you don't take enough breaks during the day! When you work at home, you don't usually see the time passing and you end up working all the time … sometimes skipping the lunch break. Make real breaks. Being at home is also the possibility of having a little coffee in the morning, having a snack on the balcony (to get some fresh air at the same time), or even opening a book for a few minutes just to change your ideas a bit.

See also: Choose the right equipment to work at home

Video by Clara Poudevigne