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How to Stay Ahead at Work During COVID-19

By | Amy Sloane | Freelance Writer

COVID-19 has made life more difficult for all of us. In particular, it’s become harder to stay on top of a work schedule and habits. Let’s take a close look at how to stay ahead at work during COVID-19.

Routines

First, routines are a great way to stay ahead at work. If you are working from home, it’s known that productivity can be a huge barrier. Some days there simply isn’t enough motivation to go around. Without the structure of an office, there’s not much to motivate you. 

Routines help to regulate a schedule to ensure that you’re productive throughout the day. Plan out meals, breaks, and meetings. Because most things are being done online, there is no time taken out of the day for a commute.

The goal is to maintain this routine on every weekday, and find that work gets itself done almost naturally. It’s all about simulating the office environment as closely as possible. At the same time, don’t be afraid to mix things up on a biweekly basis. 

As much as a body wants regularity, it also must change to break the cycle of monotony. Finding the right balance will give you that energy to complete a daily routine.

Training

Training is another way to get ahead of the curve. During this pandemic, there might be a lighter workload than normal. Without much to do, you now have some free time on your hands. Training new skills is a great way to fill this void. 

For example, financial advisor training for economists is a worthwhile skill that can progress a career path in the long run. For teachers, they might look into counselor training that can provide them with a stronger relationship with their students. 

In this day and age, it’s important to think outside the box. Consider what sort of training you’ve always been looking to complete. Because many training sessions can be done online, it’s really a perfect fit for COVID-19. When things do start up again, you’ll be equipped with more means of getting the job done.

Communication

Communication is critical during these difficult times. Because of strict social distancing rules, it can be easy to fall into periods of isolation. Maybe check up on the intern, or maybe address that notice from the supervisor. 

Even if there isn’t much to discuss, it’s never a bad idea to send checkup on emails to see how things are going. Workers who practice strong communication are huge assets to their workspace. 

Not only is it a good sign from your end, but it also forces the other end to participate as well. Overall, you will be staying ahead of everyone else who is taking a backseat during these times.

Plan Out Meetings

Finally, COVID-19 means lots of virtual meetings. Just like working from home, this can get repetitive and tedious. It’s important to put just as much effort into these meetings as in-person meetings. 

The day before a meeting layout the topics of discussion to the format of the meeting. Make sure all the correct people are invited, they know when it starts, and they have the proper equipment. 

An agenda can also help you to stay on task. The bottom line is, it’s in your best interest to use these meetings to stay ahead of the curve. While it might be tempting to let certain things go because of work-from-home regulations, it will definitely hurt the company in a couple of months.

In conclusion, these are some great ways to stay ahead at work during COVID-19. Although you might be working at home during the pandemic, there’s no reason to not achieve a normal level of productivity. Adjust the schedule a little bit to maximize the resources that are available.

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