A lot of people yearn to work from home and with experience I can say, that it has its own pros and cons.
On one hand you could save a lot of travel time but then you end up missing the interaction with your colleagues. And while the office provides you an environment which is conducive to work, home could allure you with those many distractions.
The world we live in is grappling and fighting this ruthless pandemic. We all our doing our bit by staying at home, in order to stay healthy and productive.
We are working together so as to keep this world going and overcome this tide as soon as possible. But, exactly how can we increase our productivity by WFH?
Here are 5 Tips to Work from Home & Stay Productive:
1. Maintain a routine
Many people who have been working from home for years have constantly laid emphasis on how important it is to stick to a routine and we couldn’t agree more. By maintaining some sort of a schedule definitely helps in your productivity.
The convenience of rolling out of the bed, in your pyjamas and sitting in front of the computer to kick start your day may seem very appealing. But by having a daily routine will help you remain calm &collected in your thought process, which would in turn enhance your productivity.
2. Create a dedicated work space
You definitely need to create a designated work space in your house for WFH. Whether it’s a whole room or a corner in any room, a designated space is the key so that you can disconnect at the end of the day.
Try and get a comfy chair and an elevated position for your computer so that you can stay away from all the aches and pains from a poor posture. Also staying organised with your supplies and to do lists for the day helps you to keep on track with the goals.
3. Stay Connected
Communication is the key to success when you are working from home. Connecting with your colleagues and managers on a daily basis and periodically is probably the most important thing to stay in sync.In order to do so, it is important that we keep all the communication lines open and luckily for us, in today’s times we have ample of options available to us.
Hence,it’s important we educate and familiarize ourselves with multiple tools like digital chats, video calls etc.
4. Realistic Expectations
You are going to have all sort of days. Days where you will overachieve and days where you feel overwhelmed. To maximize your productivity, you need to plan out your day realistically and schedule the tough tasks during the first half itself. Focusing is the key to having a productive day and you need to master the art of blocking distractions.
You can use background music to help you focus or a trip to the kitchen to hydrate yourself and to gather your thoughts. Also reporting and accountability at the end of the day will help your manager mentor you through WFH schedule
5. Self Care
In times of lockdown, it’s very easy to question self-productivity and happiness. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to take care of yourself physically and mentally. One of the biggest limitations from working from home is inactivity.
However, there are tons of free online workouts available to get those happy endorphins kicking into your system. It is important that we take some time off from the technology as one can be easily overwhelmed by the flow of information streaming.
Choose something that you enjoy, a regular mindful practice like a 5-minuteprayer, breathing practice, meditation etc can help you in feeling rejuvenated. Only if you learn to love yourself, will you be able to give your best at work.
Stay calm, composed and grounded…. Happiness will follow.