By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Start Your Business Magazine
  • Topics

    Grow, expand and leverage your business..

    Grow your start up business with our experts and industry insiders…

    Get Started

    Quick Links

    • Finance
    • Marketing
    • Technology
    • Business Books
    • Wellness
    • Interviews
    • Franchise

    Our Newsletters

    Our website stores cookies on your computer. They allow us to remember you and help personalise your experience with our site..

    Read our privacy policy for more information.
  • Trending
    TrendingShow More
    Communicate Better
    Start Your Business Start Your Business
    Majority of UK Employees Looking for a New Job
    Start Your Business Start Your Business
  • How To
    How ToShow More
    How To Start A Maintenance Business In 8 Easy Steps
    Start Your Business Start Your Business
    Tips for Running a Restaurant in the Most Efficient Way Possible
    Start Your Business Start Your Business
    Becoming self employed…
    Start Your Business Start Your Business
    Vet Start up
    Start Your Business Start Your Business
    Builder’s Growth
    Start Your Business Start Your Business
  • Agenda
    AgendaShow More
    4 Vital Safety Precautions to Take During Office Renovations
    Start Your Business Start Your Business
    Essentials You Will Need For Your Business
    Start Your Business Start Your Business
    Boost Employee Morale with these Appealing Ideas
    Start Your Business Start Your Business
    How To Save Your Business Money In Building Operations
    Start Your Business Start Your Business
    The Best Ways To Handle Customer Complaint
    Start Your Business Start Your Business
Reading: Self Isolation
Connect
Start Your Business MagazineStart Your Business Magazine
Aa
  • Contact
  • Blog
Search
  • Agenda
  • Blog
  • Finance
  • Growing
  • Marketing
  • Opportunity
  • Starting Up
  • Technology
  • Wellbeing
  • Contact
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • RSS
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Licensing
Copyright © 2014-2023 Ruby Theme Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Self Isolation

Start Your Business
Wellbeing
Share
10 Min Read

Top tips from professionals already working from home – how to overcome self isolation

If you’re one of the thousands of people working from home for the first time due to the Coronavirus outbreak, you wouldn’t be alone if you’re finding the adjustment a little tough. It can be a challenge to remain focussed on the task at hand when you have limitless potential distractions all around you. Keeping your spirits up can also be hard with lack of social interaction.

Contents
Top tips from professionals already working from home – how to overcome self isolationSet your team up for successNever underestimate the power of trustGive yourself a set routineMake sure your workstation is fit for purposeProtecting your mental healthRemember, you’re not alone!

However, for many other workers, this is just like any other week. Currently, more than 1.54 million people in the UK already work from home permanently.

Cartridge Save reached out to business leaders who know what it takes to make working from home successful. Here are some of the best tips to keeping your business productive, your team motivated and your mental health on track…

Set your team up for success

Ian Cowley, Managing Director from Cartridge Save says “Working from home on a mass scale may seem quite overwhelming to some businesses – especially if WFH days are not part of your current initiative. But with some smart thinking and investing in the right tools, you can make working from home a seamless operation. Here are our 5 top tips on working from home:

1: Set up file sharing tools: We use things like Dropbox and Office 365. The latter is brilliant for helping Accounts share large spreadsheets.

2: Use collaboration tools: Google Docs is great for helping your team work together in real time. Edits can be made on live documents, saving you from continually making draft copies, which could lead to error or something important being missed.

3: Introduce video chat to help reduce isolation: For a few years, my business partner and I worked remotely from one another but often had Google Hangouts running in the background. It meant we could chat as we worked on a project together, so it was like being in the same office space.

4: Invest in good quality office consumables: If you’re using a laptop, invest in a good quality keyboard and mouse as they will help maintain a good posture and prevent repetitive stress injuries.

5: Buy a printer: A printer is an essential part of any office set up, whether you’re at HQ or working remotely. I’d recommend a multifunctional printer with a scanner and a small footprint so it doesn’t take up too much space. You can get a great model for around £60 that won’t cost a fortune to run and that has Wi-Fi connectivity. Not all printers do and it’s unlikely you’ll want to plug your in your printer right next to your router.”

Never underestimate the power of trust

Juan Peri, Engineering Manager at software review company Capterra, is responsible for leading his whole team remotely. He emphasises the importance of trusting your colleagues to do the best possible work in these times: “Trust and training are the two most important actions when working with your team remotely.

“You need to train your team so you can trust their decisions will be good enough not to sidetrack anybody too much, until a second or third team member can take a look.”

Ian Cowley also says “Just because you can’t see staff working, it doesn’t mean they’re not. You can help maintain service standards by using the same suite of KPIs you’ve always had in place. For example, in our call centre we look at response times, number of calls taken and customer feedback, and ensure they’re in-line with normal working days.”

Give yourself a set routine

Fran Quendler, from London-based, female-led, ethical womenswear brand SABINNA, emphasises the importance of developing a set routine.

This is the daily-routine for her team and something you might like to borrow for yourself:

1. Get up early and develop a routine at home! Start your day with a workout, yoga or a stretch.

2. Get dressed! Put on real clothes – sometimes even simple things like shoes or a bra can help trick your brain that this is the start of the working day

3. To do lists are especially important! Make sure you set goals of what you want to achieve in a day and stick to them.

4. Do not procrastinate! The kitchen is close and so is your phone but make sure to focus on your work and limit distractions to a minimum.

5. Spend your free time wisely: If you’re feeling lonely in the evenings, why not plan a video call with friends over a cup of tea or glass of wine. Or catch up on that book you’ve been putting off or finally get around to trying that one recipe?

Make sure your workstation is fit for purpose

Alessandro Zanardi, Codeworks CEO and seasoned home worker, looks after a large student body who are now all studying remotely. He reminds us there are some practical considerations you’ll want to make sure you get right.

“Make sure you have lots of natural light, reduce distractions as much as possible, and drink lots of water. For me, I always pay attention to my posture as it’s quite easy to end up slumped on the couch, so I try to be aware of my posture and stretch regularly. I use a laptop stand and external keyboard to make sure my posture is good. The key thing is to stay mobile – don’t spend 8 hours working in bed.

“Another thing is to be aware that you’ll be making more video calls while working remotely, so make sure you have a good place to speak with people – as little echo as possible and a good light source in front of you. Don’t sit in front of a window or you’ll just be a blurry silhouette!”

Protecting your mental health

While the decision to close office spaces made for the good of people’s health in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic, it is important to consider the mental health consequences that can come with working remotely.

Mykay Kamara, CEO of Wellbot, tells us “We know that mental health can be adversely affected by lack of social interaction. At a time when isolation and quarantine is an essential part of day-to-day life we all need to look after our personal wellbeing as well as our health.

“Indoor exercise, eating regularly, hydration, routine and communication are all essential to helping keep on top of things. If you live alone then it’s a good time to schedule calls with friends and family – social media contact can be good too, but don’t overdo your screen time.

“House work contributes to exercise, so you can concentrate on doing tasks around your home. You don’t need a gym to keep healthy, simple tasks like tidying up and cleaning can help you get on top of your mood.

“People who work at home tend to work longer hours, so make sure you regulate your own time. Don’t be afraid to have a break for lunch and stop at a reasonable time. Having a good working routine will help you balance work and home life when you no longer travel to your place of work.”

Remember, you’re not alone!

Ian Cowley from Cartridge Save concludes, “You have to keep communication going. In reality, over the next few weeks or months you’ll be doing everything you already do, just remotely. So continue to ensure team leaders talk to staff every day. Make sure weekly meetings happen. Give them the professional and emotional support they need.

“Successful remote working is all about having good habits, the right tools and open lines of communication in place.”

TAGGED: header

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Start Your Business March 26, 2020
Share this Article
Twitter LinkedIn Reddit Email Copy Link
  • RSS
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Licensing

Get the latest from us delivered straight to your inbox

Start Your Business Magazine: The Ultimate Business Start Up Guide provides information advice and guidance for entrepreneurs and new business start ups. Get the latest from us delivered directly to your inbox.

Our website stores cookies on your computer. They allow us to remember you and help personalize your experience with our site..

Read our privacy policy for more information.

Copyright 2023 Gambit Interactive Media Limited – All Rights Reserved.

Manage Cookie Consent
We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Join Us!

Sign up to our free newsletter and never miss a hot topic!

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?