'Learning from Home' Tips from Our Experts
With unprecedented numbers of people working from home for the first time due to the novel Coronavirus, we’re being bombarded by content geared toward helping people adjust to the WFH lifestyle. But people are doing a lot more than just working from home — what about the unique challenges of learning from home?
As a Learning Content Management System (LCMS) provider with a predominantly remote workforce, we know a thing or two about learning from home.
In addition to all students now learning from home, “stay-at-home” orders and closed businesses are presenting many people beyond school age with a wealth of free time — why not use some of that time to learn something new?
From free online professional certifications in both hard and soft skills, to paid courses in any number of topics, opportunities to learn from home abound. Learn a new skill or hobby, or pick up an old one you miss. After all, they say the cure for boredom is curiosity!
We asked our team members all over the world to share their tips with us, and we’re excited to share them with you!
Our Team's Top Tips for Learning From Home
Take Advantage of Free Apps & Tools
“One of the biggest challenges of learning, working, or trying to get anything accomplished from home, is time management and loss of structure. The good news is, there are literally hundreds of free apps and tools out there to make this easier! From time and task management apps like Airtable to video apps like Zoom, and collaborative content creation tools like Plexie, there are no shortage of ways technology can help you learn from home more effectively."
– Ken B., Executive Team – Colorado, USA
Create Opportunities to Interact
“Losing out on in-person collaboration is one of the biggest challenges of learning from home. Create opportunities to interact with your classmates and colleagues outside learning sessions — virtual study groups, lunch groups, and other hangouts can help provide a little sense of normalcy and lighten an otherwise strange and stressful time.”
– Stuart G., Education & Training Team – Iowa, USA
Set Up a Designated Space to Do Your Work
“Whether it's an entire room or just a corner somewhere, set up a designated space for yourself. Working at the kitchen table or on the couch makes it harder to draw the boundaries between work / school time and free time. I'm lucky enough to have a separate room, so I can just close the door when I'm done for the day.”
– Amanda R., Services Team – New Jersey, USA
Exercise Your Mind & Body
“When the hustle and bustle of early classes and 'having to be somewhere' are removed, we neither move around as much nor have the mental / emotional exercise and stimulation of our normal routines. It’s important to make exercising, eating right, and getting enough rest a priority.”
– Jim W., Product Management Team – Florida, USA
Practice Self-Care During Stressful Times
“Just like working from home, learning from home requires your focus and mental energy, but with fewer distractions than a traditional school or office environment, you have to make an effort to carve out time to decompress. Get up and go get some water or a snack, or take a walk around the block (while practicing social distancing!) to get some fresh air and refocus. Trapping yourself behind computer screen(s) for hours on end will lead to burnout.”
– Loree J., Customer Success Team – Texas, USA
Create a Work Space that Makes You Smile
“Make sure you have some things that make you happy in your work area — a small plant, photos from a family vacation, childhood memory, your kids’ latest art projects.... These are unprecedented times and stress levels could be higher than normal. It's so healthy to have a work space / learning space that lightens that."
– Diane J., Customer Success Team – Belgium, EU
We hope these tips help make learning from home a more enjoyable and productive experience!
At Xyleme, we’re committed to helping our partners succeed in an ever-changing learning ecosystem, and we’ve been empowering organizations to create, publish, deliver, manage, maintain and analyze learning content more effectively since 2004.
