As the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to grow around the globe, more and more of us are working from home, and while we are fortunate to have this option, it’s not without its challenges.
I have worked from home for the better part of a decade so know from experience that one of the biggest issues you may face working remotely is staying motivated.
Maintaining focus on work is particularly challenging right now as our attention is drawn to the virus unfolding around us and its impacts on lives and livelihoods.
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to stay productive during this time. Here are some key tips for keeping motivated while working from home as well as how MavSocial can make your workday a little easier.
Be Organized
Being organized starts with having a dedicated area in your house where you will work. While it’s great to have the ability to work on a laptop or mobile device from bed, the lounge or anywhere in your house, it can create a whole host of other problems.
Creating a dedicated workspace signals to yourself and others that when you’re in that space you are “working”. It can help to avoid distractions and interruptions.
Create a sense of calm by keeping the workspace clutter-free and set up screens and chairs so you are in a position that promotes good posture and will remain comfortable for your workday.
You may also find it a little harder than usual to manage all of your marketing efforts and social media posts. With events and campaigns being continually postponed or cancelled you may need to regularly review and edit social media posts.
Using MavSocial’s Social Media Calendar you can find and edit upcoming posts and edit them, saving you valuable time and helping to keep things as stress-free as possible.
Additionally, try to keep to a routine that incorporates regular working hours and daily tasks such as monitoring and responding to social media.
Create a routine that works for you and stick to it. Working from home means you can be flexible but routine ensures you remain productive. Include in your routine, regular breaks, exercise, slots to undertake particular tasks and recreation.
Once you establish what hours you will be working and let others know when you will be available.
Stay Connected
Now more than ever, we need to find ways to connect with and stay connected to other people.
Even if you weren’t a heavy social media user before, you may need to be now as it becomes the best way to stay in touch and share up-to-date information with customers, clients, and colleagues.
MavSocial’s Post Manager makes it easier to stay connected via social media. You can create and schedule important update messages to post to all of your social media accounts at once. This time-saving tool allows you to respond faster as the situation with Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve.
Another great way to stay connected while working from home is through video calls, whether it’s via social media or other platforms, which brings us to our next point.
Be Professional & Responsive
Just because you can work in your pyjamas, doesn’t mean you should. Dressing like you would on a normal workday is a signal to yourself that you’re at work.
While you may opt for something a little less casual than usual, you should look professional if you are participating in video calls. Remove visual and other distractions where possible when speaking to someone via phone or video. You want to send the message to yourself and others that you’re working and focused.
Another part of being professional is being proactive and responsive. With the impacts of Coranovirus (COVID-19) on how we live and work changing on an almost hourly basis, it’s important to stay across the latest updates and respond to them accordingly.
You will want to stay aware of how you will be affected by the virus and flow-on effects, as well as how your customers and other stakeholders will be impacted.
Business and enterprise users can use our Social Listening feature to keep track of topics specific to you and your industry. At a touch of your fingertips, you can see what people are talking about the most and what they are saying about it. This enables you to develop responses in a timely manner but also to make informed business decisions and potentially identify potential opportunities.
Another MavSocial feature that can help you be responsive is our Social Inbox which enables you to monitor and respond to messages across your social media accounts all from the one dashboard.
With many businesses experiencing much higher volumes of correspondence at this time, staying on top of your social messages is more important than ever.
Exercise Patience
Not everything, and sometimes nothing will go to plan when working from home, especially right now.
There will be glitches with technology. The exact moment you join a video conference your child may decide to chase the cat through the house with a light sabre (yes, this happened to me). Your colleague’s dog might be yapping in the background during a call.
Try to be patient and understanding of everyone’s situation. You have probably heard it more than once, but it still rings true – we are all in this together.
Most importantly, stay connected with others whether it’s via social media, video, phone calls or emails. Check-in with colleagues, customers, and suppliers. Offer support to others when you can and practise self-care.
If you have any questions at all about how MavSocial can help you manage and schedule your social media at this time, contact us today.
