Combating COVID-19 isolation working from home — Tips for new remote workers

The COVID-19, or Novel Coronavirus, outbreak of early 2020 has many employers and employees suddenly thrust into an entirely new work scenario, working from home (WFH). To many, the sudden shock of going from an office filled with peers you can walk over and chat with, to sitting alone at home with your laptop, is causing feelings of isolation. While there are many excellent articles on how to work from home, most of them assume the ability to venture out into public, which is not an option until COVID-19 has run its course.

I have been WFH for over eight years and would like to share with you some tips that have helped me combat feelings of isolation.

Create a comfortable workspace

Creating a comfortable Work From Home space goes a long way toward fighting isolation. If the space you’re working from is not comfortable you will not want to be there, which will lead to further discomfort and irritability during the work day.

The first step is physical comfort. Ensure your desk is big enough to hold all your equipment, and at the proper height. Get your computer monitors up high enough that your head is not tilted down to prevent neck and back pain. Like the Wirecutter article on “The Best Office Chair” states, “Buying an office chair is like buying a mattress: If you’re spending a third of your life in this furniture, it had better support your well-being and not break your back. If you…