Work from home survival guide

Keep communications strong 

Once you overcome potential distractions, working from home can give you many benefits, like flexibility, but a common problem you might experience is loneliness*. One way to manage** this is to communicate regularly and stay updated with your colleagues and managers. This will also help to reduce stress about managing your work.

And connection isn’t just for work-related things – take part in conversations in group chats, share a fun video or ask your colleagues how they’re feeling. Keep your human connections alive!

Set up a productive workspace

If you’re not used to working from home, you might struggle with not having a suitable place to work. One simple way to fix this is to choose a fixed spot at home to be your “office”. Instead of working from your bed, set up a small desk and chair away from distractions. Keep your notebook, coffee, and anything else you need, close at hand.

Stick to regular working hours

Since home is now your office, it might be difficult to unplug from work once you’re done. Sticking to your regular work routine helps. For example, if you usually make coffee at the office pantry at 10am, or have lunch at 1pm, then just do the same at home.

Most importantly, if you usually finish working at 6pm, try to log off at 6pm. Keep a daily plan and to-do list to help you stay motivated and finish your tasks on time.

Stay active 

One big advantage of working from home is the stress-free commute from your bed to your “office”, but being stuck at home can be stressful. Try to keep your mind and body active after work. Expend your restless energy doing home exercises that you can find on Facebook or YouTube, playing games and solving puzzles with your kids, and rediscovering an old hobby. 

Keep your spending in check

With much more free time, it can be tempting to indulge in online shopping and lose track of how much we’re spending. Some might also panic-buy office items and easy meals to eat while working from home.

Try to keep tabs on what you’re buying with CIMB Clicks – get only what you need and conserve your cash. You might also be paying for things you can’t use at the moment – such as a gym membership or season parking.

See if your gym and carpark allows you to arrange a freeze period where you stay a member but pay a lower fee. If you need to reschedule a loan or get financial relief, we’re here to help.

It can take time to adjust to new arrangements. Take care of yourself and make time for your loved ones – we’ll all get through this in no time.

This article is brought to you by CIMB as part of our ongoing efforts to raise the level of financial literacy among Malaysians. Financial knowledge and understanding are key to making well-informed and meaningful financial decisions that will improve all our well-being. This, in turn, achieves CIMB’s purpose of advancing customers and society.

Source:

* https://buffer.com/state-of-remote-work/2019

** https://www.fastcompany.com/40589281/remote-workers-share-how-they-conquer-loneliness