Business News

Start by setting realistic goals.

Adjusting from office life to working at home with kids requires a slight adjustment in your expectations of what you can get done in a day. The first step toward finding balance as a WFH mom is to set realistic goals. Make a prioritized list or do a bullet journaling of all the tasks you need to get done and things you'd like to get to. Estimate how long it will take you to accomplish your priorities un-interrupted, then add a buffer. No matter how much you resolve to get through your daily list efficiently, mom duties and other factors will come up throughout the day.

Create a dedicated workspace that suits your needs.

You may not have an office at home, but you can get creative and piece together a dedicated workspace that suits your needs. You know what setup works best for your productivity. Maybe you need a laptop and coffee to enjoy a mobile office setting, or maybe you need a dedicated desk with all the office amenities. The key is to do your best to work with what you have.

Create a schedule with built-in flexibility.

Have an idea of how many hours you need to work each day and set "office" hours. Think about what you can accomplish while your kids are being entertained so that you can work smarter, not harder. Even the most well-behaved kids get fussy which is why built-in flexibility comes in handy. Take advantage of a beautiful day and take fussy kids out in the fresh air for a bit so that you can return to work without the distraction of mini-meltdowns. Plus, nobody is going to judge you for letting them watch cartoons for longer than usual.

Also be sure to discuss your employer's expectations of your telecommunicating schedule and reach an agreement on the number of working hours you put in daily.

Plan for interruptions.

The chances of your toddler understanding that your conference call is more important than watching their favorite episode of Paw Patrol are slim to none. No matter how much you prioritize your to-do list and create a practical schedule, you have to plan for interruptions. It's a good idea to come up with nonverbal cues that your kids will understand to signal that they can't interrupt you. It's also a good idea to be a ninja with the mute button on your phone or headset just in case of unexpected screaming in the background.

Take breaks from work and parenting responsibilities.

To maintain a balance, you need to take breaks from both work and parenting responsibilities. Working from home doesn't mean that you have 24/7 availability. Stick with the start and end times you set for the day, take lunch breaks away from your work area, and remember to get up and move your body.

You need healthy boundaries and dedicated time for yourself every day where you don't focus on work or kids. A great way to carve out "me time" is to schedule a spa appointment. At endotaspa.com.au, you can choose from a range of body treatments and restorative treatments that will leave you rejuvenated. Their tranquil treatment rooms are designed to promote your wellness journey and bring you a sense of relaxation. Visiting a sauna and indulging in a steam room is a great way to let your daily responsibilities melt away.

Whether being a WFH mom is temporary for safety concerns, or your preferred lifestyle choice, the initial adjustment is just a phase. Once you get into the swing of things, you'll be a more adaptable worker.

Sat Feb 6

How To Maintain A Clean Work Environment

Written by News Co Media

Working is a busy and stressful activity that you need to do as it's a part of your daily routine. While working requires your focus and productivity, it'll be challenging to work as usual when surrounded by a chaotic environment as you'll be distracted by the clutter around you. That's why it's vital that you practice maintaining a healthy work environment.

Researchers have published an article about the importance of clean air quality as it helps people focus on their work, elevates the company's brand, and improves overall health. With that, you need to practice cleanliness whether you're working from home or outside.

Throw Out The Trash Daily

The best way to keep the clutter away from your workspace is by throwing out trash daily. This is a simple habit that'll help to bring you wonders as it'll help remove unnecessary trash immediately that you'll forget if you decide to throw it the day after.

When you leave the trash alone, it could pile up and cause germs and bacteria to breed, especially if your trash includes food waste. Not only that you can keep the bacteria away from the work environment, but you're also eliminating the possibilities of developing foul odor inside the room, which could be hazardous and impact one's productivity.

The best time to throw out the trash is before you leave the office so that the accumulated trash won't spend the night, which could facilitate the breeding of hazardous organisms that could put everyone's health at risk.

Have A Trash Bin Readily Available

While most people hate to see trash just sitting on the floor or at the table, you may not put the entire blame on them. Some people place trash in the most inconvenient places because they don't have a trash bin available.

To allow your work environment to be healthy and sanitary, you should supply numerous trash bins to the entire floor so that employees would have easy access when they need to throw out their trash. If possible, you may assign a trash can to each of the employees' workstations to refrain them from forgetting to throw out their garbage which ends up lying on their table for weeks.

Store Cleaning Products

You'll never know when an incident would occur in your work station when you need to clean up the mess. While it's terrible to see your spilled coffee all over your desk, it'll be worse if you don't have the necessities to have it cleaned right away.

To maintain a clean workplace, you should stock cleaning products and allow them to be easily accessible by everyone on the floor. In this way, employees can immediately take action when they need to clean up in the most effective way possible, with the complete cleaning tools' help.

Organize Cables

If you're working in an office, you've probably seen plenty of cables scattered around the desk area like crazy. While you cannot eliminate the use of wires as they’re essential to powering your devices, you need to find a way to organize them neatly.

When it comes to organising your cables, you should use a cable organiser and tie up the wires in one direction. By managing your wires, you're allowing the workstation to look neat and eliminating the possibilities of causing the wires to tangle over time, which can be challenging to sort out.

Minimize Desk Clutters

While having plenty of notebooks and pens nearby would help you write something right away, it can only cause clutter and mess, especially if you don't use it every minute. Unless your work requires you to use pen and paper, you should try to keep your desk accessories to a minimum. One best way you can do it is by allowing yourself to have drawers under your table to keep your stuff away.

Besides adding drawers under the table, you might want to allow your workspace to reduce paperwork as it's usually the leading cause of office clutter. If you cannot eliminate using paper, try to keep an organizer handy to minimise clutter.

Schedule Office Cleaning

While you can always clean your office by yourself, it won't be as thorough compared with hiring professionals who have the right tools and will ensure that the room will be spotless in no time.

When you regularly hire a cleaning service for your office, it'll reduce the times that you'll be needing to have a deep cleaning service which could be expensive. Ensure that you hire a reliable company that could handle the office cleaning and is known for providing good services.

However, if you can't hire a cleaning service company, you can always schedule an office cleaning day to help the employees have a sense of responsibility for their work environment.

Conclusion

It's essential that you keep the work environment healthy and clean. Not only that it helps to keep the place looking sharp, but it also maximises the employee's productivity as they won't get distracted by the clutter that's sitting on their desks. Ensure that you promote a clean workspace in your environment for everyone's benefit.