Working from home is probably the best thing that happened in 2020 to all the working professional. Unless your dog decides to poop all over the house or the friendly/nosy Mrs. Sharma decides to pay in a visit every day for her daily gossip update.
With the world engulfed in a pandemic that is forcing a fraction of the population to work from home, the situation raises a lot of mixed sentiments. Some individuals fear the lack of privacy or a work-life balance, whilst others take this up as an opportunity to be insouciant in their approach.
But what do you think? Which situation allows us to be more productive? Work from home or work from your office?
The plus point of working from home is you’re free from all the pesky office colleagues who swoop down your desk for some daily gossip updates or even just ask you out for lunch. Yes, the above environment does have its benefits, but not if you are someone who is easily distracted.
As working from home is becoming the new norm of necessity, employees need to be more organized and driven to stay on top of this situation; otherwise it can slowly push you off the edge, especially when there is a lack of communication or follow-ups from your colleagues and management. It is very easy to slack off and be laid back especially when you know that no one is watching. Thus, making you your worst enemy.
Below, are listed a bunch of great tips and tricks to make work from home fun and efficient for everyone during the pandemic.
Wake Up Early
One of the best ways to achieve your goals for the day is to start early.
One of the biggest benefits of working from home is saving all the time and energy that would have gone into commuting from office to home and vice versa. We can instead use this time to plan out a to-do list for the day.
Getting started with work and projects first thing in the morning, gives us ample time gradually during the day to do it in a better manner, and since the brain is more active in the mornings for a large part of humankind so better flow of ideas are generated.
Cooking breakfast could probably be done when needed a break from the work schedule.
Play Dress Up To Office
One key objective is to maintain a routine. Get ready for your work day. Just because you are staying home doesn’t mean you don’t shower or change out of your pyjamas. Put on some bright clothes and get up to set the mood. Getting ready for the day can help boost your productivity and keeps you ready for any surprise video conference that may come up. Keeping a mindset of heading to your regular office, which helps your mind prepare and keeps you away from doing household chores.
Create An Office Space
Have a designated “office space” within your home. Preferably a space that is away from your break areas to help with distractions and also give you a sense of formality when you return to the work area. Sometimes break away from the monotony of one space and work from home from a more open space, for those of you lucky enough to have a garden or balcony. Coffee shops, libraries, public lounges, and similar Wi-Fi enabled spaces can help you achieve the mood of an office which helps you stay productive even when you don’t sit in an official workplace.
Make A Time Table And Stick To It
When you make a dedicated work calendar, you will make sure you meet your deadlines and avoid procrastination. To put it in simple words, be your own manager. This helps to stay on top of your project and not lag behind. Add lunch, coffee breaks, and even 10 minutes to listen to music or go for a walk to look forward to on your schedule. Take the help of an online calendar, create personal events and reminders that help you stay on track during work from home.
Make Technology Your Companion But Limited
Spending long hours on your social media apps or taking personal calls and texting your friends for long hours could hamper your productivity. Focus on activities that are work-related as I’m sure the world can wait to like and comment on that beach side photo you took at Goa last year.
Being connected to your managers and colleagues is crucial to feeling like you are still part of a team. Working from home can take a while in getting used to, so be sure to keep yourself up-to-date with your manager and team members about the day’s requirements and improvement possibilities. If tasks and deadlines are shared on regular intervals day, there should be no room for the confusion which would lead to increased productivity.
Interact With Others
Having that one phone call or video call with your friend/ best friend during the day is allowed, even if they’re not your co-workers. Work from home could make you feel like you are in planet Mars since you are bound to feel cut off from human interaction for most of the day, but it is always a good idea to see another face during the day when most of the part of your day was monotonous.
But also remember to say no to those unnecessary phone calls from friends and relatives who know you are working from home as they could prove to disturb your schedule and productivity.
Lastly, working from home can become a new way of life, but if planned right and used well, it could work out to your benefit. Make sure to keep your boundaries from family or flatmates who may also be working from home and do not forget to keep your social life. Take a break from working on the weekends and be sure to plan to get out of the house. It can be easy to fall prey to the never-ending work cycle when working from home but as much as working from home has its perks, it also requires self-control and focus for you to succeed.
Happy Working!
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