Are you feeling daunted by another day of juggling work and keeping tabs on your children at home? Is your to-do list getting larger? Do you need a break already?
It is time to have a look at your everyday schedule. Working at home has its benefits, but time management is not one of them. It is easy to work longer hours, forget to take breaks, distract yourself, or feel burned out. Particularly when you are sharing a workspace and controlling your stresses around schoolwork at the same time. A fresh daily schedule, designed around everybody in your family, may help you get back on track.
Follow these tips to remain productive and make the most out of working from home.
1: Commit yourself to some start time.
Start your workday right by tapping into your workspace in a specified time, just as you would at work. Are you getting up later because you are not commuting? Avoid doing that. Sleeping in, then going right to your PC will leave you feeling hurried and not able to give your children the care they need.
Instead, use an alarm clock and get up at the usual time. Use that extra hour to get your children organized and get your head in the game over coffee and breakfast.
Smart tip: Schedule your smart thermostat to heat up your bedroom by a couple of degrees before you wake up. Now you can’t make the excuse that you are warmer in bed.
Children in school are used to a structured schedule with their day split into time blocks. It is the way they get their work done. Building a schedule around their school day will hold them accountable and help them understand what they really need to do daily. Getting your kids working while you and your partner are working will help, even when you share your space.
Preferably, your family should operate on a schedule which keeps everybody occupied at the same time, with brief breaks for household activities which you can enjoy together.
3: Work. Break. Repeat.
Stay productive by organizing your day around work blocks which align with your family schedule. Before you begin your workday, assign a task to every work block, and then use this as a tracker to remain responsible for getting things done.
When planning your day becomes a distraction, do it the day before. After every work block, take a short break with your children. This means stepping out from your work area and do something interesting: a quick backyard exercise session, a game, journaling, or walk around the block.
Connect with your kids and give your brain a break from responsibilities. Do not shortchange yourself on breaks: they’re vital for everyone. Tip: if you cannot take a break with your children, an outdoor surveillance camera can help you stay up with their backyard adventures.
4: Don’t stop when work stops.
If your workdays start to drag, don’t barricade yourself in your workspace. Schedule a time to stop when the day’s work is done. Make it something you enjoy: a dance party, crafting, or a family game night. If you are missing buddies and family members, schedule a time to video chat with them. When the novelty of being home all day wears off, it can be draining. Staying connected is the key to maintaining family and friendships strong. Keep it going and keep it fun!
5: Use technology to save time.
Working from home effectively means cutting down on distractions and conserving time for relaxation and fun.
Our technology will help. If you have not discovered these Alarm.com features yet, now’s the time: Scenes allow you to take good care of complicated tasks with one Alarm.com command. Use our pre-existing Sleep scene during the night to lock the doors, turn off the thermostat, and arm the security system. Video analytics helps you cut distractions by filtering your home’s video alerts to see what you want to see.
Customize your alerts to see only individuals, or vehicles, or animals. Siri Shortcuts to Alarm.com takes your scenes to another level with voice-activated commands. Interested in our cutting-edge technology? Connect with us. All Systems Integrated is committed to our customers’ well-being and safety. If you’re looking for a way to make daily life a little easier – and bring your family together, we can help.