With the spread of novel coronavirus, industries are hit hard globally. Many businesses are struggling to cope up with the sudden change in the work environment. Working from home can be a boon and curse at the same time. People fantasize about working from home in sweatpants, turning commuting hours in favor of more sleep, family and exercise. They can either be super productive or be super lazy, where their productivity drastically decreases. Procrastination is more powerful than motivation, especially in times like these, being constantly surrounded by negative news coupled with chaos and discussions.
In this article, we have listed some tips to help you maximize your efficiency and productivity to help you hit the refresh button on your work life.
Establish a Morning Routine
Get up early and approach each new day as if you’re headed to the office with people. Don’t just get up and start working. Follow the same routine drink coffee, shower, have breakfast and get dressed to work. This helps you to clear your head, preparing you by creating the necessary distance between home time and work time.
Designate a Workspace
Separate work from home by carving out a dedicated office space. It can be your room, a chair and a desk with the door closed. That way, when you enter the dedicated workspace, your mind consciously knows what you’re going to do. It helps you to change your mind from ‘At Home’ to ‘At Work’.
Set Your Work Hours
Work from home allows for flexibility, but instead of having a vague plan, create a daily schedule and stick to it. You can set up regular hours by working on a schedule including exercise, meals and coffee breaks when needed. Setting a target and end time will enhance efficiency and productivity.
Avoid Distractions
Set boundaries for yourself and if you’re living with your family, make sure they are aware that you are unavailable during this time. If you’re living alone, keep your television off, else you can just lock your door. If you’re the type of person who works well with some background music, listen to some music that keeps you working without distraction. Also, avoid using social media as it is a giant time-waster if you’re not careful.
Know When to Stop
Don’t be up too late into the night working. Set defined times when you’re going to work and then when it passes, stop working. After your working hours completed, don’t even look back to check just a mail. Give time for yourself and try to relax your mind. If you do more hours, your attention will wander and you’ll be restless, and at the same time your work won’t have its normal level of equality. Don’t end up letting your work ruin your life.
Stay Connected with Your Colleagues
Since the pandemic has forced people to stay at home at self-isolation, staying connected is very important. Make sure your company has a telecommuting platform where you can stay connected with your team members or office mates and be available for video calls and teleconferencing. The basic idea behind this is to create a virtual office where an occasional joke is also communicated over the platform.
The Bottom Line
The best thing we can do during this outbreak is to keep moving forward until we can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Working from home can be great for work-life balance. It trains people to be more productive, focused and disciplined. Tailor the most effective way of working and keep practicing until it becomes a part of your lifestyle.