As the world continues to battle the COVID-19 threat, insurance adjusters around the country have shifted to working remotely from home and forgo all on-site visits until the threat has been eliminated. This sudden shift has been challenging, to say the least. After all, as someone who spends most of their working days on the road, being forced to stay in one location for weeks on end may feel weird.
To help adjusters around the country adapt to this sudden shift in work environment, we have come up with a few tips to help you maintain productivity while working at home.
Find Your Workstation
One way to make sure you can be productive is to find a spot at home from which you’re comfortable working. Your spot must be comfortable enough for you so you can stay in that spot for the majority of the day, but not too comfortable that makes it tempting to rest.
Think of this spot as your home office. You clock in when it’s time to work and you clock out when you’re off the clock. You can set it up in your garage or basement. Why not work on your patio or on your porch? Anywhere but the couch and the bed is fine.
Use the Right Tools
Because you now have to work from home, you will require tools that enable you to perform your tasks. Ask your company about systems they’ve set up or about to set up to help you perform your tasks remotely. Your company may use a variety of tools or an entire suite to help you maintain productivity.
Aside from essential software for communication, meetings, and project management, you may also need tools that can help you stay productive. Timer apps, white noise, and app blockers may help you stay on top of what you need to do and free you from distractions.
Free Yourself from Distractions
Speaking of distractions, your home is full of chores that need done, people you can talk and happily waste time with, and kids who are always welcome distractions. But while most distractions are outside of our control, there are some things that you control yourself.
For instance, avoid going on social media or other websites that take your attention away from your work. Stay away from Netflix, Hulu, or other streaming sites. Clear your mind and try not to focus on cooking your favorite recipe or starting a new DIY project. Simply put, don’t do at home things you wouldn’t do at the office.
Learn to Communicate
Remaining social at home will be the key to your productivity. That means taking control of all communication channels that are available to you. Keep track of what you and your team are doing. Give frequent updates on the proper channels. If you need to communicate with clients or stay on top of a claim, there are many tools that can help you do just that.
Create a Schedule – and Stick with It!
The biggest change you will ever experience while working at home is how laid back your environment is. In time, that easy-going environment can slowly eat up your productivity if you let it. The best way to stay in control of your time is to create a schedule and stick to it.
Create a schedule that’s manageable and realistic. That means knowing what times you’re more productive and when you’re most likely to lose focus. That way, you can designate periods of rest so you can maximize your productivity.