Working from home has many advantages; however, in today’s era of near-global social distancing it can be challenging to maximize productivity while simultaneously managing family and other household obligations. Professionals in fast-paced industries such as the financial sector can find it difficult to concentrate on their work the way they did while working from the office. Whether your work focuses on banking, the stock market, financial services, risk management, compliance management, or any other important financial domain, here are 8 tips to help you focus.

1 – Focus on good posture

It is often difficult to approach work with as much energy at home as we do while working from the office. There is a very simple explanation for this lack of energy; all the furniture in our office is designed to help us work in an active posture while all the furniture in our homes is designed to make us feel as comfortable as possible. Some offices are giving their employees the option to take their office chair to home with them for this very reason.

2 – Save files on the cloud

The computer and network connection we have at our homes cannot be compared to the devices and network infrastructure being used in an office. It is possible to lose important work because of a hard drive issue in your computer. That is why every professional should make it a habit to save important files on the cloud. Ask your company’s IT team if there is a secure cloud storage option they would recommend.

3 – Data widgets

Businesses that work in trading assets or stock often provide screens that display the latest market data to ensure that everyone knows the latest market shifts. You can set up a screensaver on your computer which shows the important information or add a data widget to your desktop that always shows you the latest finance data. You can get such tools and data from websites such as Bloomberg.

4 – Communication is key

There are many instant messaging solutions which will help your team work together from different locations. You can use Microsoft Teams, Discord, Slack, or any other similar solution. Do not limit yourself to just the groups that are made by management; create a chat group for your core team members so you can collaborate on tasks easily. You can even create a watercooler chat group where everyone can talk casually.

5 – Create a designated workspace

Create a comfortable space in your home where you will sit only when you work. This helps both you and the people living with you – you will be able to focus better when in the workspace, and the people living with you will know when not to disturb you. Pick a place in your home with the least foot traffic so you can concentrate on work.

6 – Music helps with concentration

It can be very difficult to focus on your work if you have kids at home. Schools are closed and it is impossible to expect kids to sit quietly during work hours. Get a pair of noise cancelling headphones and put on some music when you need to concentrate on your work. Slow music without lyrics works the best because it contains the least distractions. The Social Network soundtrack (Spotify) (Apple Music) is a great place to start.

7 – Regular scrum meetings

It is more important than ever to ensure that all the team members are on the same page. If you manage your team then try to keep multiple scrum meetings every day. You can have everyone get on the same call for 10 minutes 2-3 times a day just to catch up on all the work that is happening. This helps with morale too because everyone feels more connected as a team.

8 – Good coffee is important

A lot of us are missing the coffee we used to grab while going to work or the coffee that the coffee maker at work could make. Make sure you have some good coffee at home. Do not want to buy an expensive coffee maker? Get a French press for an inexpensive way to make coffee that tastes amazing. Fan of something a little sweeter and with more cream? You can always make Dalgona coffee at home – it doesn’t require any fancy ingredients of equipment.

These are just some simple tips that will help you focus on your work better as you work from home. If you work in risk management or compliance management and are looking for a better way to coordinate with your team then have a look at Predict360 Risk and Compliance management solution. It contains pre-defined workflows and task management tools for risk and compliance managers.