Working from home due to COVID-19? 8 tips for a smooth transition

Working from home as a result of COVID19?



Given the severity of the situation, many companies are already adopting working from home policies. For many, this will be a new experience and would probably be unprepared for it.

As someone who has worked from home for the past 2 years, here are 8 tips to help you prepare for a smooth transition.




1 Plan your Daily Calendar and Tasks

In reality, there will be three  possible scenarios when working from home


The Discipline
Followed schedule accordingly

The Overwork
One who does not adhere to schedule and would want to do more

The Underwork
If can slack, why not?

The first thing to do is to plan your day. Start with the work that you need to complete. This is followed by appointments and daily tasks. It is essential to have a daily calendar for 2 reasons. To ensure productivity as well as to prevent overworking  or underworking



2 Have a Proper Work Desk

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Given that the pandemic might last for a much longer time than anticipated, it may be wise to invest in a Work Desk. A proper desk will mimic your working environment and minimise disruption. Working on the kitchen table or the island just do not cut it.

For many, work from home would mean bringing the Laptop homes. Some would be accustomed to larger screens than laptops. If possible, get another screen for your Work Desk. You might want to check out the Benq GW2480T that we had recently reviewed.


Since we are working day and night to update this website with the latest news on Covid19, the Brightness Intelligent Technology (BI Tech) will help to adjust the monitor's brightness according to ambient light, making it a comfortable viewing experience both night and day.

3 Have a Stable Internet Connection

Working from home means you probably need the internet for communication with the office or clients. Ensure that you have a stable if not fast internet connection. For a reliable network, consider using LAN cables instead of WiFi.


4 Work in a Room

Try not to use your living room or kitchen as a working area. The open space and family traffic are easy distractions. Get your own room to work. Lock yourself in if needed to avoid distractions. If you are working in the bedroom, do NOT work on the bed.

5 Turn off the TV
If you have a TV in the room, turn it off. As tempting as it may be, watching Crash Landing On You while trying to get the work done is not going to work.

6   Separate Work Station from your spouse or kids
Both husband and wife working from home?

It may not be a rosy thing to do and would tend to result in conflict and distractions. It is essential that you do not share the same workstation or monitors. It will be counterproductive to share devices as fitting the schedule of one another will be a daunting task.

Get a separate work station. Let your spouse or kids have their own setup. With the escalation of the situation, there is a possibility that schools might be suspended in the near future. If you are setting a workstation for your kids, include a dual-screen set up too. The Benq GW2480T would be great as it is adjustable according to kids height as well.

If space permits, working in different rooms would be most ideal.


7 Set your Working Hours
If you work from 9-5pm in the office, do the same for home.  Be disciplined about the timing. Working from home might save you an hour or two from commuting. That does not mean you have to use the hours save to work.


8 Make Time for Family

Working from home is different from bringing work home. Try not to neglect the family when you work at home.  Keep the routine as close to what it was before this situation. There is a time for work and a time for play. Even if you are working from home, do make time for family.