Many workplaces are encouraging their employees to work from home to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. If you have a job that you are able to do from home, you may find it a challenge to adapt to this new temporary position.

Virtual Event:

WEtech Alliance, Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce, and WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation hosted free webinars addressing COVID-19.

The first webinar focused on tips, information, and technical advice on how to work remotely – now that so many people are doing so due to COVID-19. This includes health and wellness tips and suggestions on how to balance being socially active while social distancing. The 60-minute webinar with featured presenters Karolyn Hart, Yvonne Pilon, Frank Abbruzzese and Rakesh Naidu, was followed by a bonus Q&A session. The webinar was presented in partnership with InspireHUB, WEtech Alliance and AlphaKOR Group.

View the Suddenly Remote Webinar

We’ve compiled some tips and resources below to help you make the most out of working from home.

Helpful Tips

Making the most of out working from home

Working from home may come naturally to some, but can be a challenge for many others. Learn how to stay on track, get your work completed, communicate with your coworkers, take care of yourself, and stay sane:

Taking Care of Your Family

Learning From Home

We’ve compiled a list of resources you can use with your children to help them learn from home and keep them occupied.
Visit this webpage at: Learning from Home.

Working from Home When you Have Kids

Maintaining a work-life balance right now can be out of the question for some. If you are a parent or guardian, it’s important not to be too hard on yourself as you navigate successful working from home routines.

Talking to your Kids about Covid-19

Adults are not the only ones stressed out about Covid-19. Children may be confused and worried about the change in their routines as well. Talking with children about Coronavirus Disease 2019: Messages for parents, school staff, and others working with children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Mental Health and Physical Health

Staying Healthy

Taking care of your mental and physical health is important at all times, but especially during this stressful period. Time Magazine has some tips on nutrition, fitness, sleep, and stress. How to Stay Physically and Mentally Healthy While COVID-19 Has You Stuck at Home.

Maintaining a professional career while at home can have its challenges. Here’s 12 Tips to Stay Healthy While Working From Home (Entrepreneur).

Stress and Mental Health

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has a list of resources and contacts for walk-in counselling clinics. If you or someone you know needs help in managing stress and anxieties related to Covid-19, visit the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit: Stress and Mental Health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists various stress and coping mechanisms as well as things you can do to support yourself. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Manage Anxiety & Stress.

The World Health Organization released a handy infographic on how to deal with stress as well. World Health Organization: Coming with Stress During the Covid-19 Outbreak.

The Government of Canada released a page and infographic to address Covid-19 and Mental Health at Work.

Tiny Buddah provides a few ways you can practice self-care during this stressful time. How to Take Good Care of Yourself During the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Working where you live is not as easy as it sounds, especially if you have other people in the space. Here’s how to avoid the darker side of remote work. How to Maintain Your Mental Health While Working From Home (Fast Company).

Keeping In Touch

Make sure to communicate regularly, via email or phone, with your supervisor and your co-workers. Working from home eliminates a lot of the regular chatter you’d engage in with your coworkers. Send a quick message during the day just to chat, set up games, and maybe even load up a video chat.

Resources

Teleconferencing:

Teleconferencing may be our new normal for a while longer.

Use Zoom Like a Pro

Of course, there’s more to Zoom than just dialing into a meeting. Get the most out of your Zoom calls with these 7 Tips for How to use Zoom like a Pro (Wirecutter) and 10 Tips and Tricks for Zoom (Zapier).

Google Docs

Using a Google Drive can help you keep documents organized, work on items in real-time with your co-workers, and keep people accountable. Read more about Google Docs to see if it would be useful for your workplace.

Trello

Trello lets you work more collaboratively and get more done. Trello’s boards, lists, and cards enable you to organize and prioritize your projects in a fun, flexible, and rewarding way. Learn more about Trello.

Security

Your company may ask you to use a VPN (check with your employer first) or other security measures if you’re working from home. Free security resources for work-from-home employees during the COVID-19 crisis (CSO).