Use Tech To Tools Make Working From Home Easier

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There are many upsides to working from home, but just like everything else has two sides, so does working remotely. Some of the challenges that people face include tech troubles, dealing with virtual meetings, and feeling isolated. We have some tips on how to not only manage but have fun with each of these challenges.

Jazz up meetings with virtual backgrounds – If Zoom is your preferred virtual meeting platform, you have plenty of free backgrounds to choose from. You can either choose from options there or add more personality by using other tools. Canva, a design resource website offers free templates that range from animated backgrounds to static images like your astrological sign. Jazz up your screen and use the background as a virtual ice breaker before the meeting officially begins.

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Use organizational tools – It can be challenging when everyone working on a project is in separate locations. Using tools like Trello can help with organizing projects and workflows. We love the modular nature of Trello cards that allows users to easily move notes from one section to another. While the paid version is more robust, even the free version is packed with features that will make teamwork dream work.

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Use a replacement for the water cooler – One of the most deeply felt challenges about working from home is feeling the absence of your work friends. Light chatter, or ad-hoc meetings at the water cooler have been known to boost morale and improve productivity, but in the absence of the proverbial water cooler, you and your team can adopt tools like Slack that allow you to share work-related documents and conversations, and also be used to have watercooler conversations that create a fun virtual culture.

Create Ambient Noise – Your roommate on a conference call, your cat purring, your kids chattering, there are several distracting sounds at home. Drown out these distractions with apps like Noisli or Coffivity that let you create and discover your own background score and are a great way to focus on your work.