The kids are back in school and many learners – and their families – are dealing with new classroom arrangements combined with ongoing remote learning. It’s not surprising that this is another layer of stress in already challenging times, when many parents are also working from home. We’d like to share some tips with you on how to minimize this stress by making the process of remote learning or working as easy as possible.
Designate a space
For the kids to engage in their online learning or if you’re working from home, try to create a dedicated space for work to take place. This achieves two objectives. First, it can be a place where distractions from work are minimized. Second, a proper workspace helps to create the right mindset to concentrate on the task at hand.
Behave as usual
Routine is an important part of effective working and learning. Try to maintain your usual routine. Do you normally get up at 7 a.m. to start work at 8.45? Don’t change your schedule to factor in the time saved by not having to commute. Keeping the old routine as far as possible helps to keep you on track, as before.
Resist social media
Social media are great for keeping in touch with people when confined to your home, and for remote work it can be a tempting tool. The problem is that social media can be a huge distraction and a massive time-waster. You can try to avoid the temptations of spending time on social media by using a different browser and removing any shortcuts or notifications that could entice you away from work matters.
Make the most of productive periods
Keeping your old routine is useful, but there’s no reason not to tweak it to maximize productivity. Home working and learning typically gives you some flexibility that you can use to your advantage. If you are more alert in the mornings, try scheduling the tasks that are more challenging or require most concentration for that time.
Establish ground rules
Setting expectations and boundaries is important for remote working. Make it clear what times are set aside for work or education and don’t make exceptions unless unavoidable. There will surely be more distractions in the home and so minimizing interruptions is a key part of maintaining productivity in a home learning environment or workspace.
Communicate clearly
Establishing the ‘new normal’ ground rules around remote working means communicating them clearly so everybody knows what they are and where they stand. When working from home it’s important to keep in contact with your team. For kids relying on online learning, remote doesn’t have to mean isolated. Encourage kids to get in touch with their friends – but after the school day is over, not during or in between learning sessions.
For people grappling with remote working, and kids adapting to online learning, there’s no doubt it’s often a challenge. For information and help with remote working and learning, and tools that help, reach out to Quikteks today at (973) 882-4644.