In previous weeks, one of the biggest changes has been that companies, wherever possible, have been transitioning to remote work or “work from home” for everyone’s safety.

While working from home may sound like a dream to some, it’s not without challenges to focus, motivation and morale. Try the following tips to minimize challenges and maximize success.

1.) Stay Connected

With so much technology available, there are plenty of ways to stay connected with your team and your clients! Video chats, phone calls and online meetings are a few great ways to keep collaborating. This helps your whole team stay on task and boosts people’s spirits during a time when they may be feeling lonely or isolated. Help be part of the solution.

Here are a few ideas to stay in touch with clients:

• Send a weekly newsletter to create ideas for your clients to keep afloat during this time.
• Create a video (if you need help with videos, reach out to us for ideas).
• Make sure you have an online store so companies can search for products to provide to customers or employees. AIM is providing free training on online stores if you need help.
• Post pictures on social media of you in your home office or practical measures you are taking during this time. This can inspire or help lift spirits.

Here are some ways to stay in touch with employees:

• Microsoft Teams: Part of the Office 365 online collaboration suite, Teams is a platform for individual chats, group messaging and video calling.
• Slack: This widely used communication tool provides individual chats, group messaging and video calling.
• Skype: Platform for instant messaging and video calling.
• Asana: A project planning and collaboration platform for managing projects and tasks remotely.

2.) Take Breaks

It’s important to stay on task, but it’s also important for your mental health to take short breaks away from the computer screen. Having a snack, stretching, taking some deep breaths or doing a quick, digital check-in with a friend are all great ways to clear your mind and come back to your work feeling refreshed. 

3.) Keep Up your Morning Routine

It might be tempting to roll out of bed and start working right away. But to maintain better work-life balance, keep your morning routine the same regardless of your work environment. Make your coffee, have breakfast, take a shower – do all the things you would if you were coming into the office. You’ll feel better for it and be starting your day off on the right foot.

4.) Set Ground Rules with Others in your Workspace

If you have children, family, a partner or roommates who are home when you’re working, have an open discussion about work hours. Setting these boundaries up front can prevent problems from arising while you’re focused on work. For some, the shift to working from home can be an understandably difficult adjustment in family and living space dynamics – usually, we would be available to those around us when we’re home. However, setting communication and non-interruption expectations with the people in your home, and sticking to them, will allow you to maintain focus and productivity.

5.) Don’t Burn Yourself Out

Set work hours for yourself and stick to them as you would in the office. It can be tempting to “finish one last thing,” or do a “quick email check” that soon turns from an extra 5 minutes into hours of additional work. Don't let this become a regular habit. At the end of your workday, close your laptop and walk away until tomorrow.

6.) Ask for Help When You Need It

Disconnection and isolation are common problems for people who work from home. Add to that all the recent change and uncertainty in the world, and it’s easy to imagine many people are in need of support and connection. Don’t be afraid to reach out to coworkers if you need help or support. If you are working with an AIM Project Manager, reach out to them to help you and your business get through. The AIM Distributor Facebook group community is another great resource for you to get answers to your questions and talk with others who are going through similar challenges. Even if you’re feeling isolated, remember that with AIM you’re never alone.

7.) Stay Positive

Following these tips and getting through this challenging time can both be made easier by keeping a positive attitude. By continuing to work together and communicate, we can all successfully navigate through these unique times together. Our industry has proven time again to be resilient, and so has our community.

We’re all in this together and we are AIM strong!

Want to learn more tips and best practices for working from home? Download our infographic.

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