Working from home has been the alternative for anyone who works in an office and is still employed, the lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic has offered this luxury but it comes with some tweaks to make it enjoyable and productive.
Initially, working from home sounds like a dream come true. You can work wearing whatever you want and set your own schedule.
You now work from home, either by choice or forcefully as a countermeasure to contain the virus.
Whatever the reason that caused you to be in this situation, you now have a whole new set of challenges and distractions that you did not face before.
I would like to share 9 guidelines that will help you to be more productive while working from home.
1. Define your working hours.
Generally, individuals have two problems when they work from home.
First, they do not have enough discipline to work enough hours in a stretch.
Secondly, they are distracted by every little thing that pops up.
Establishing a work schedule will not only help you to be more disciplined but also helps you to focus, what matters at the moment.
2. Communicate.
Now you need to communicate to those who may distract in your working hours.
Make it clear that you cannot be borrowed between certain hours unless there is an emergency.
That way kids, relatives, friends will not take the liberty of assuming you are available because you are at home and in their presence.
3. When you are off, you are off.
As a complement to the second guideline, when you are off and not working, then you should not be working at all.
If you are working from home, it doesn’t mean you should be working all day long.
Come up with a ritual that will break you from work mode. It is essential to enjoy your personal time with your loved ones.
4. Good working environment.
Having a good work environment at home is crucial for your productivity.
If possible, set up a workstation in your favourite spot where you feel more focused and energized.
It could be a corner where natural light can easily access. Again, it is up to you. Every person has different preferences.
Also, make sure to keep your workstation clean and organized. Trust me, it will definitely help.
5. Create a task list.
While working in a home setup allows a lot of freedom, you must not lose track of time.
Without creating, and sticking to a task list, you will not be productive. Try to list down all your tasks a night in advance.
This will help you to sleep better as you already planned for the next day. Once you wake up in the morning, your mind won’t’ drift as you already know what to focus on.
6. Break Time.
Make sure to give yourself short breaks throughout the day and allocate enough time for lunch in your schedule.
Over and above, try to focus on eating healthy foods and not big greasy meals. When you are working from home, you are physically quite inactive.
A heavy carb-rich meal will not do any good for your body. It will only make you feel sleepy and tired.
7. Gratitude.
There is a majority of the population who doesn’t have the luxury to work from home. As a result of, either they are jobless or furlough for an extended period from their place of employment and depending on the industry they serve.
Be grateful that you have this opportunity in your hands. Being grateful will give you energy and a sense of responsibility towards your work.
8. Workout.
Although working from home is boon, it’s a curse as well for your body.
As the gyms are closed, there are high chances you would not feel like to workout at all.
But by ignoring the exercise, you are putting your health in danger.
Use the time in the morning that you normally spend getting to the office and do a home workout through a workout app or with the help you YouTube.
9. Stay Connected.
It’s very important to stay connected with your team or stakeholders when you are working from home. It’s quite difficult to work when your team is not around.
There are a number of tools available that will help you stay connected. Over and above, you can set up a weekly or so video call to set up the agenda for the upcoming days.
This will help determine everyone’s job for the coming days and it will keep the members of your team on task.
Tiny tweaks to your daily routine can do wonders for your overall productivity. Working from home is not overwhelming at all. It just takes some time to get used to it.
Once you know how to keep your work and personal life separate, you will feel more efficient. There are high chances, you would feel to work from home even after the pandemic is over.