Practical ways of getting work done learned during the lockdown period

Some changes made over the past 15 months will be incorporated into our new way of doing thingsPhoto: Jenny Ueberberg

No matter which field you work in, 2020 has changed the way we do things and interact with others due to a global pandemic.

Those of us lucky enough to not have lost our jobs or been furloughed, during long lockdown periods that has resulted in a decrease in sales from travel to music and the fashion industry, we are still having to adapt and find new ways to engage with daily tasks in 2021.

But some of those temporary measures may become part of our new daily routines as the U.S and the world, slowlly, go back to normality.

Across the globe: what are the things we have adapted, over the past 15 months, that will be incorporated into our new way of doing things, moving forward?

Dictation software for emails

“Due to social distancing, we cannot do face-to-face meetings. As a result, my emails have doubled-up for communication. I am now using dictation software for writing emails and other pieces of content. It has reduced my hand strain, which I have experienced because of continuous typing. So, I will keep using it (dictation) afterward, when the coronavirus epidemic is over."

Gintaras Steponkus – Project Manager at Solidguides.com

More short breaks

“During the lockdown, I have found it difficult to concentrate on work for long periods of time. To tackle this, I have begun taking breaks every hour to do something away from the computer for a short while (e.g. washing the dishes or chopping vegetables).  This has resulted in working fewer hours, but I do feel more productive and alert.  I’m considering keeping this habit moving forward.”

Andrew Forrester – Founder and CEO at www.myaudioplanet.com

To concentrate my work to one area of the house

“As a freelancer working from home for the past 8 years, I am used to having the house to myself during working hours, as everybody else was out. Since March things have changed and shared my place with more people than usual has taught me to be more organized and to contain my workload to a room, outside our home, which I started using as an office. The new routine has really helped me to stay focused, productive, and to disconnect from work once I am done with it.”

Joe Flanagan – Blogger at www.90sfashion.com

Flexible hours can be productive

“We have discovered that flexible hours in remote settings are hugely beneficial for the way we work. With flexible hours, we can all work when we are at our most productive, and when our families and children are not disturbing us. We plan to stick to this schedule even after the lockdown.”

Malte Scholz – Co-Founder of Airfocus

Using headphones to cancel distractions

“Although I’ve actually worked from home running my own business for years prior, Covid-19 still changed our lives because I’m now working from home with my whole family, instead of just me. I have purchased noise-canceling headphones, which really help me to focus on tasks.  I’ll keep using them even after lockdown is over because they actually help me tune out the background noise in the house, something I didn’t even realize was there previously.”

Alexis Haselberger – Time Management and Leadership Coach

Video calls are always better than phone calls

“Seeing someone’s face and reaction allows you to make more of a personal connection. I plan to continue suggesting video calls rather than phone calls after the COVID-19 pandemic is over, even though I almost exclusively used phone calls for business beforehand.

Calloway Cook – President of www.illuminatelabs.io

Small chunk everything

“There are a lot of different distractions when you are working remotely or are struggling to stay motivated. Time management and productivity was a problem with so many new distractions, but I’ve found small chunking all of my tasks to work out great. I break up my working sessions into 25-minute intervals followed by short breaks. I also avoid visiting any news sites or looking at news updates on my phone while I am working, as it can affect motivation and focus. Any major developments are still going to get to me one way or another.”

Adam Sanders – Director at Successful Release

Connecting on a personal level

“Our team has started having daily morning Zoom meetings during this period as we have been working remotely for two months now. These meetings have been great for quickly knowing what we’re all doing and for discussing relevant matters, even if we can’t physically meet. This has had a clear effect on promoting morale and teamwork and is certainly something we intend to continue doing once we can meet in-person again.”

Anna Barker – Personal finance expert at www.logicaldollar.com

Consider internet security

“I learned to secure my transactions and important file-sharing while keeping my internet secure. Since everyone is working from home and businesses are sharing their outstanding projects, hackers are on a quest to get into your business to leak critical information. I am using Kaspersky for internet security and will continue to use it in the future.

Mike Bran – founder of www.thrillappeal.com

#WorkingFromHome #Business #Motivation #Covid-19

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