Posted at 22:18h in
Uncategorized The current pandemic has tossed all of us in a situation where we have to work from home and roam from the living room to the bedroom holding our laptops. For many modern professionals, working from home was once a luxury- people used to fantasize about working from the comfort of their home and spend more time on sleep, family, and personal life.Working from home seems all good…right up until your dog throws a toy on your laptop, or you are lured by the pile of laundry lying around, or you feel like binge-watching on your favorite Netflix show! So, working from home is a double-edge sword – you definitely get to stay at home, but it also gets harder to focus on work. It has its own perks, but it is up to you how much benefit you can take while staying completely productive. So, first things first: start your day on a healthy note, nourish and hydrate yourself, sit up straight, and get started with your work. Here are seven tried-and-tested tips to help you remain productive while working from home.
1) Have A Designated Workspace
While at home, you will usually find yourself curled up on the sofa, but having a specific spot at home where you ‘go to work’ is essential to focus- which means getting off the couch and definitely out of your bed. With a dedicated workspace, you can focus more on your work, fuel your creativity, and shut out all the distractions. Moreover, organize your workspace like you would do in the office, with all your files and documents. It is essential to keep up with the office vibe while working from home to improve your work performance. Additionally, by having a designated workspace, you know where to walk away from, once your workday is complete, thereby allowing you to disconnect easier than if you were working from your bedroom.
2) Take Breaks to Declutter Your Mind
Whether it is your office or home, it is vital to remain in a clutter-free zone within your mind. You may have a hundred thoughts running in your brain, but you need to align them properly. Scrolling through Instagram might feel like a break, but taking a ‘real break’ means no screens during that time. It is an important element to stay healthy and can also help in getting rid of
anxiety caused by brain fog, and can increase your mental clarity and overall productivity.
3) Find A Chill Buddy
We always have that one coworker who keeps on chatting in between work. Back in the office, you used to get irritated with that, but when working from home, you surely miss it now. It is these social interactions that refresh your mind and help you focus better on work. So, do not hesitate to ring up or video call your chill buddy and talk about anything and everything.
4) Work On A Fixed Schedule
Working at home needs extra efforts to create a schedule for your day. While an in-office schedule happens by default, you need to plan your day when working from home. This ‘
2 emails per week strategy’ will also help you. Creating a fixed schedule is not only for work but also to dedicate time to some basic practices like morning exercise, lunch, and other non-work activities like laundry and cleaning. You need to allocate time to your work and family. With a proper schedule in place, you will be able to keep yourself mentally and physically available at all times and witness an improvement in your performance.
5) Be More Communicative
Work from home is not a solo job; instead, it needs to involve your team members more actively than you do in office. Whether it is brainstorming on a new project, or just creating a presentation, communication is the key to stay productive while working from home. Especially for senior managers and leaders, it is important to go beyond emails and messages and involve your team through video calls to replicate a better office experience for them and make them feel involved in the work.
6) Create Work Boundaries
One of the most essential ways of staying productive at work is to create work boundaries. You need to follow certain working hour’s policy and log off from work when the time is over. Work from home doesn’t mean that you have to pull all-nighters and be stuck to your screen 24/7. It’s important to signal your mind that work time is over. More so, because over-exerting yourself might lead to
eye strain headache, and hamper your productivity for the next day. Allow yourself to relax and create a perfect work-life balance.
7) Create Work Triggers for Your Brain
When you work in the office, the daily routine of dressing up and commuting prepares your mind to be ready for work. You need to do the same when working from home and give your brain a head start with activities like exercise, making coffee, and sitting up straight for work. Dress up a bit better and not just start work in your sleepwear. Dressing up nicely signals your brain to be ready for work. Get into your workspace and follow the schedule you have made for the day.
Takeaways
Work from home has its own advantages, and you have finally got this moment you have been dreaming for a long time. Moreover, with the current circumstances, it’s difficult to predict when we would be able to put a rein on this and get back to our office life. Hence, working from home is the new reality which is here to stay for a long time. So, don’t let this go in vain and follow the steps mentioned above to keep your sanity and work productivity in pace.
