Many companies around the globe are implementing mandatory or voluntary work-from-home policies amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to the technology available, working from home is not that difficult these days.
However, there are several unusual challenges for those who’re working from home for the very first time. Even if this isn’t something new for you, working from home for an undetermined duration may be frustrating.
So, how can you stay productive and focused at home and how you can maintain a healthy work-life balance? We decided to share some tips that will ensure you’re productive when working from home and maintain your personal well-being.
Maintain Regular Work Hours
Whether you’re working from home part-time or full time, the most basic and important thing you should do is to establish a regular working schedule for yourself. It’s certainly tempting to allow total flexibility to yourself and randomly start in morning and take breaks whenever you wish. However, in all honesty, you’re going to be unfair to yourself if you can’t manage to maintain this schedule. Setting regular work hours will keep you accountable to both your boss and yourself in the long run.
This will also allow you to get your work done in an efficient manner and make it easier for your colleagues to get in touch with you. One thing that you should consider before creating a schedule is when your coworkers and manager need your availability.
Of course, this in no way means that you have to work 9-5 every other day because you should work during those hours in which you’re most productive. If you’re able to stick to this particular schedule, you will have a very productive work-from-home experience.
Ensure the availability of Internet Speed You Need
This pandemic has got all of us stuck to our smartphones, tablets, or binge-watching the Night Stalker on Netflix. Moreover, if you’ve kids at home, they’re bound to use the internet more than you, which inevitably slows down your productivity if there’s a continuous lag in your internet speeds.
Working as close as you can to your Wi-Fi router may help improve your internet speed, but that might not be a permanent solution because there’s no guarantee that particular area will always be appropriate for your Zoom calls.
That is why it’s important to have sufficient bandwidth and internet speeds to avoid any lags. In such a hard time a cheap fiber internet service that is also reliable can go a long way.
Maintain a Work-Life Balance
The number one reason why most people working from home aren’t able to maintain a work-life balance is that they cannot separate their working time from personal time. Just as it’s important to work diligently, it’s also important to have free time for your personal life.
Try your best to not extend your workday more than you’ve planned, as this may exhaust you too much. One of the most important work-from-home tips is to keep both your work and home life separate.
This will not only allow you to stay productive when working from home but also reduce stress levels when you’re enjoying your personal time. In the same manner that you set your working hours, you need to establish when you won’t be available to work.
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Create a Functional Office Space at Home
The concept of working from home is in fact very tempting since you can work from your couch, an easy chair, or even from your bed. However, this will affect your productivity and take a huge toll on your day-to-day goals.
Hence, it’s best to work from a specific room that has a comfortable chair and desk to keep you active and tell your brain that you’re there to work, not relax.
Try to make your home office as comfortable as you can. For example, choose a chair on which you can sit straight from 5-7 hours a day. Other than that, you can decorate it nicely for some motivation. Also, make sure that the space has some good natural lighting to keep you motivated.
When you do this, your body will associate your sofa with relaxation, bed with sleep, and desk with work. You are likely to be more focused, confident, and much more organized if you’re working from office space at home.
Stay Up-To-Date With Your Social Environment
Perhaps one of the best things about being able to work in office is the opportunity you get for socializing and collaborating. However, work from home doesn’t mean that you cannot enjoy your friends company anymore.
Some people love the concept of working in solitude, but to be honest, even the most introverted person can begin feeling claustrophobic after working from home for a number of weeks.
When you’re learning to work from home, try to get in touch with your colleagues at least a few times a week, whether, by phone, email, social media, video call, or in person (while following all protocols)
It’s important to keep up with your relationships with people at work, as well as your professional relationships. This will boost your productivity and also refrain you from feeling lonely.
Dress Up
The last but not the least tip that we have is that you should dress properly. This may seem like the least important tip, but it’s actually pretty effective. Of course, you don’t have to dress formally, but the simple act of getting out of your PJs will make you feel that it’s time for work.
We understand that it’s tempting to work in pajamas all day, but you’re bound to feel lazy and lethargic at some point of the day. Waking up and changing your appearance will go a long way in allowing you to feel as if you’re taking care of yourself.
Moreover, its 2021, where work-from-home is all about having zoom video calls, and so you might not want your colleagues to see you all messed up.
Bottom Line
It’s important that we are mentally prepared for the work-from-home shift to last. It is better to adapt to the situation and for that we need to stay as productive as we can.
The shift can be complicated and it will take some time before we get used to it. However, with just a few easy changes that you can make to your space and routine, we promise that you’ll not only have a productive work life but a personal life as well!
