Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, many workplaces,  schools and other public spaces have closed their doors and asked for their employees or students to work from home to help slow down the spread of the virus. For many individuals, working online is a brand new experience, and the freedom of being alone can easily lead to distraction. So I want to share some tips with you guys that helped me with my online business and also my previous online studies.

 Here are 7 Tips I Found On My Research Adventure That’s Been Helping Me And Could Also Help You.

 Stick with your regular routine - Make sure you’re up and ready for the day to begin by the time you’re usually at the office/school. Haven't had time to dedicate to yourself since you’re always on the rush? Now’s the time to work on it! Just like any other day, pick a nice and comfortable outfit to wear you’re more likely to be productive if you feel like you can take on the world, If your day beings at 8:30 am, then make sure you’re logged in to your laptop by then so you don’t miss an online class or a time sensitive email. During the morning, it would also be a great time to take advantage of a home made breakfast for a healthy start to your day. And once the clock strikes 5:00 pm (or the time that your work day normally ends), make sure you close your laptop, tidy-up, and walk away from your workspace.

 Find a location in your home where you won’t get easily distracted (or tired of) - Try to find a well lit room, either by exposure from sunlight or proper lighting. Sit at a desk or table, in a supportive chair that will keep you attentive to your work. Get creative if you don’t have an office you could sit at the kitchen table to create a short-term office space. It isn’t fun staring at a blank wall or an empty space, as it can get lonely; to liven it up, add in personal art (especially created by you) that speaks to your soul, and if you have any house plants relocate them to your workspace! Try to make sure you keep your area clean and organized.

 Unplug from distractions - You don’t need Tik Tok, Snapchat, and other app notifications interrupting your day, so take the measure to unplug from your phone! Don’t forget to turn your phone notifications off on your laptop, as well, so you don’t get distracted. the best way to know that you will truly not be on your phone would be setting it far away from arms reach. The faster you get through your projects and homework, the sooner you’ll be able to plug back into the world. If you need some background noise, choose music that doesn’t take away from a productive day.

 Keep a calendar near you to keep you on track- Planning out what you need to be doing is useful when you’re working from home, too. The attitude of “I’ll figure it out tomorrow when I wake up” won’t work, as you can end up not doing anything at all. In your calendar, write down your meetings, classes, and projects that you have to complete or start doing and all of your assignment deadlines. The visual of the big picture will help you focus on what needs to get done that day. To help you stay on track for these big picture items, create a separate list for each project.  Make bullet points of what exactly needs to be done in order to complete the project or to show up prepared for your online class or meeting. 

 Ask a friend or co-worker to join you online - Keep yourself accountable through another friend that says they’ll be online at the same time as you, so you can chat at the same time while you do work or check-in with each other. It does get lonely when you’re home and working all day, so keep each other company, We have to use what the internet has given us, so take advantage of online chat spaces such as Facebook Messenger, Email Chat, WhatsApp Send a friend or co-worker a calendar invite with a link to the chat space you'll be connecting on. If you have a smartphone, you also have access to Google Hangouts or Facetime for a fast face-to-face interaction. Rather than a distraction, you can find a sense of community that you lack when sitting alone. 

 It’s okay to take a break throughout the day - It's so easy to get distracted when you know your fridge is disposable and when the TV is feet away, and the afternoon slump can quickly happen to you if you aren’t prepared. When you’re alone, it’ll be much harder to get back into grind-mode. Try to add a 5 to 15 minutes break in every hour or so, since staring into a bright screen all day isn’t good for your eyes or your posture. And definitely don’t forget to schedule lunch-time! Use your breaks wisely; you can use that time to scroll on your phone, check Facebook for pandemic updates, These small breaks will be effective as you stay concentrated on the work you have to do throughout the day.  

 Be respectful of your housemates - If you don’t live alone, you’ll probably find yourself working alongside your parents or roommates. You don’t want to get in each other's way or accidentally embarrass each other on video calls, so keep each other up to date with what’s going on with your routine for the time being. Let family members, friends, or whoever is in the same space know that you’ll need them to cooperate during these times. Make sure you give them the specific times when you’ll be busy, or notify them at least half an hour before your online meeting. Working from home does take time to adjust, but it’s manageable. Plus, all we have now is time, so we might as well take advantage of this moment to strengthen our remote skills.

 In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves. self discipline with all of them came first.

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