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3 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,A pril 16,2020 theifp.ca Spring is back, and so is our 15th Annual Super Spring SpecialON NOW ! - Oil & Filter (Includes up to 6 litres regular oil.) - Complete top to bottom check over - Installation of summer tires (already on rims) included. - $5.00 Tim's Card - Windshield Washer Fluid eXTraS $8995* Call for an Appointment *Most Vehicles. Prices are +HST 45 Mountainview Rd. N., Georgetown 905.877.7958 hassellsauto@bellnet.ca • hassellautomotive.comSALES & SERVICE $6995*69 Only Gold 2018 Halton Hills Silver 2018 Halton Hills Synthetic oil (up to 6 litres) Some employees forced to work from home during the pandemic are no doubt perfectly com- fortable with the idea, while others find the abrupt introduction to the unfamiliar concept somewhat distressing. Where to start? How to make it work so that your productivity and creativ- ity don't suffer? How to deal with the isolation? Don't despair, we found two expert compa- nies in Halton -- Enable Education and PlanIt! Ef- ficiency Solutions -- of- fering advice to ease you into the transition from office to home. The bottom line is don't simply plunk a chair in front of a table and begin. Put some thought into a 'home of- fice' because it looks like you'll be there for a while. Here are 10 things to do to successfully work from home: 1.) A workspace must be set up properly so it does not hamper produc- tivity and efficiency, said Kara Morgan of PlanIt! Efficiency Solutions, who has been working from home for many years. 2.) Designating a spe- cific location, either an area in a room, or a par- ticular room in the house, has practical and psychological implica- tions, said Morgan. "When you enter the space, it will signal your brain to shift to work mode." 3.) Be organized be- cause you don't want to misplace important items and waste time try- ing to locate them. 4.) Consider the poten- tial for noise, poor visibil- ity and sunlight exposure because all three can neg- atively impact not only your productivity, but your mood. 5.) If you don't have ac- cess to natural light, use LED lighting, trying to choose bulbs with a warm spectrum tint rather than regular bulbs. Morgan al- so recommended posi- tioning your screen to avoid glare. 6.) If you buy one thing, Morgan highly rec- ommended it be a com- fortable, adjustable chair, versus using a din- ing room chair with no back or core support. "Prioritize comfort," she said. 7.) Enable Education suggested virtual lunch gatherings for remote workers, so employees get a healthy dose of so- cial interaction. These al- so serve as reminders to take a break and re- charge. 8.) To mitigate feelings of isolation or of being overwhelmed, try medi- tative breathing and stretching activities, ac- cording to Enable Educa- tion. 9.) Working online can involve frequent inter- ruptions so perhaps get permission to move your settings to "do not dis- turb" for part of the day to allow yourself to focus. 10.) Manage expecta- tions, added Morgan, be- cause "this is a shift for you and your family; ev- eryone needs time to ad- just to the new norm." NEWS PRIORITIZE COMFORT WHEN WORKING REMOTELY CREATING THE BEST #STAYATHOME OFFICE When working from home, find a specific location in a room, or a particular room in the home to help you stay in track with your administrative duties, says Laurie Del Net, executive director of the Parry Sound Chamber of Commerce. Laurie Del Net photo