Together we are facing a truly unprecedented global situation, affecting our loved ones, communities, and businesses. First and foremost, our thoughts are with anyone who has been impacted by the virus, both directly and indirectly. Secondly, at 1973 Ltd we have been focused on safeguarding our employees where we can.
The 1973 Ltd team has been working from home relatively smoothly given the current circumstances, and we are confident we can continue to provide the high-quality services our clients know us for.
But we – as most – know that soldiering on from home is not without its own challenges. As such, we’ve asked our team for their working from home survival tips to better help your business in this difficult time.
Keep communicating
Communication is key, especially when the team is so widely dispersed and you can’t easily have a quick catch up on projects as and when you need to. At 1973, we’ve kick-started virtual standups at the beginning of each work day, and an end of day debrief. Technology can ease the feeling of distance, there are multiple platforms across all different price-points that can help your business feel connected – from Zoom, to Slack to Skype.
Create healthy boundaries
The commute, as much as we love to hate it, does provide a good physical and psychological segue from work to home. Try to stick to your core work hours as much as you can to retain a sense of normalcy – try to ‘go’ to work as much as possible. Emulate your usual routine, shower, get dressed (pyjama’s don’t count) and take a regular lunch break. Try to set up a home office if you can, or have a ‘work room’ if a dedicated office is not possible. Don’t let work slip into your personal time, switch off, and leave your work devices after you’ve clocked off.
Coping with distractions
With the schools across the UK closing, working from home with children is no easy task. Besides practicing your presentations on the children, what can you do to keep them – and you – productive? Luckily there are many online resources you can utilise, including; Twinkl, toytheatre, Khan academy, virtual tours of the National Gallery and BBC bitesize – find a comprehensive list of resources here. And if you get really stuck, feel free to give us a call at 1973 Ltd, and we can help you meet your business goals in the meantime.
Exercise!
Yeah, I know, we don’t love it either. But it’s more important than ever to try to stay fit – both for your physical and mental well-being. You might be sitting much more than usual without meetings, getting lunch, or commuting to the train station each day. In 2014, Stanford researchers found that walking can boost creativity by 60% – so even if you don’t feel up for a HIT session, take a walk and see what inspiration hits you.
Keep spirits up
There’s no getting away from the fact that the situation is stressful. While we’re all trying to avoid the urge to stockpile toilet paper, keep connected with face-to-face interaction online – which is especially important for those who live alone. Find the time to have a non-work related chat, have regular meetings with no agenda. Whilst acknowledging that we’re all feeling anxious, try to find the positives. Perhaps use this time to up-skill the team, or refresh existing internal resources – or maybe now is the time to go meet your neighbour, pick up a new language, or finish that book you’ve been meaning to read.
We’re aware we remain in uncharted territory, and in a very changeable situation, but we hope the above can help you make the most of working from home. While it’s not business as usual, and your business may have slowed its marketing operations in some areas, we hope – perhaps with some creativity – that the marketing industry will remain stable, even if that means we need to refocus our efforts in other areas for now.
If you have any questions, or if there is anything else we can do to support you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. And lastly, we would like to extend our best wishes to you and your loved ones, and hope you’re staying safe and well.
