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It is exactly on this day in the month of April I received a call from my boss, “Hi Shippey, need you to work on some stuff while at home, can?”.

I responded, “Yes can, why not.” It has been three months since that day. I have learned few things while working from home.

Have a morning routine
I am someone who already has a morning routine of waking up at 5.30am, so that makes easier to start my day. From day one, I decided even if do not have any work I will wake up, get dressed and sit in the chair with a coffee to start my day.

Have a free dedicated space to work
At first I had a small table but it caused back pain since it was set low. So I got a proper table and chair for myself. I kept this place as neat as I could, same as my office desk; Space for a note book, coffee mug, pen, phone and that’s it.

Have scheduled working hours
I start each day by looking at my task list. Having a schedule for work hours saves my time, I had a clear idea of when I will be available for my team members’/managers’ questions and queries. This allowed me to have a balanced work and personal life and made me productive. I was able to finish my tasks, do online trainings and workout as well.

Schedule your break
When I am at the resort, I normally take a 30-minute coffee break in the morning and an hour for lunch break in the afternoon. I tried to maintain this routine even at home. The breaks uplift me and give me energy and I was able to manage work stress even in a different work environment.

Follow your calendar
I tried my best to make myself available to scheduled meetings, webinars and calls. Even if I do not have any office calls I find some webinars or training opportunities. This connects my mind with different people and mindsets, helping me to focus. Meanwhile, my learning curve has evolved to its best in terms of timings.

Have a positive mindset
I set my mind to this statement as if I am in a race to win. I target to close my day by putting a tick on each of my tasks. I target to read news daily to see what’s happening outside. I target to stay in touch with family and friends. I target myself to learn something new. This helps me to focus on the positivity and give me extra energy to stay positive and to spread positive energy over phone calls and most importantly to the team members who I meet at my home island.

Have an open communication line
I tried my best to keep my superiors posted on how I am completing my tasks. I do not simply send emails and wait for the response, rather I take my phone and ring the person to repeat the same thing which I mentioned on my email. This helps me to connect myself with people. Meanwhile, I also kept my WhatsApp and email cleared within the day. This motivates me during the day.

Spend time with family
Right after my work I go out to visit my family, have a bike round. This fills me with happiness of staying at home with loved ones. Even if I have unfinished work I feel like, “Yes, the day was productive”. I tried my best to keep the social distancing and follow the guidelines, knowing that soon when I am back to my real work place I have to follow certain rules.

Revisit your day before bed
Have 20 to 30 minutes before you sleep to review and revisit your day. This helps me to prioritise my tasks for tomorrow. This will give the happiness of “Yes, the day was productive” once again. Working from home is entirely new to me but I managed to complete my work and attend to some urgent tasks which I planned to finish after COVID-19, before returning to my office.

Working from home saves time and helps in managing time well. Working from home kept me connected to family, loved ones and let the day flow. Working from home helps to occupy yourself and organise yourself to be better as well. For sure when I return back to work, I will have so much to take and practice from this time.

About the Author:

Hassan Shifaau (Shippe); Is Manager of People & Culture at Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas. he is a keen learner who believes in success through hard work. Able to work independently and as a team under pressure to achieve goals. He writes his experience and share his thoughts on many platforms. This article was originally posted on his linkdin page.