Working From Home
Working from home became a major trend in 2020 due to the pandemic. But before then, it was a routine for millions around the world.
For those new to it, working from home can be disorienting and exhausting, especially due to the lack of structure. While the concept comes with several benefits like job flexibility and comfort, these luxuries can easily turn into missed opportunities and a lag in productivity.
If you’re working from home either temporarily or permanently, these tips would help you get started and ensure consistent output.
Have a Permanent Work Space
Choosing a designated office space in your home is the first step to the “work from home” journey. You can convert any empty room in your home to a workspace. If you don’t have space, you can set up your home office in the sitting room or anywhere there’s space.
Just ensure it’s comfortable and quiet enough to allow you to work with minimal distraction.
Invest in technology
Working from home means you won’t have access to the high-tech tools available in your office. So it’s Important you have quality technologies like a desktop, tablet, and strong internet connection.
Since working from home requires a lot of collaboration, it’s important that you have excellent internet connection and up to date gadgets to carry out your tasks.
Set Real Work Hours and Breaks
Working from home requires the same level of commitment as when you work from the office. One way to ensure you don’t feel too relaxed is to set real working hours.
This will be entirely up to you. First, determine your most productive hours and schedule your working hours around them. It could be when your kids are in school or the normal time you kept at work.
Also, ensure to setup breaks in-between your work hours so you don’t work non-stop. You can take a 15 to 30 minutes break to walk away from the computer screen or have launch.
Have a To-do list/Planner
When you work from home, there’s no structure. Unfortunately, there are lots of distractions from kids to pets and even your spouse. Having a to-do list keeps you on track in spite of the distractions.
- Write out the task you have for each day.
- Design the list based on preference or priority.
- Update your to-do list every morning.
- Share your to-do schedule with co-workers to improve collaboration.
In addition to a to-do list, consider using a calendar or planner. These tools would help you keep track of meetings, appointments, and deadlines.
Exercise Regularly
Working at home requires sitting in one position for a long time. There are some days you may not even leave your home. Exercising regularly can help you increase your performance and ensure you remain proactive. The blood flow to your brain during your workout helps sharpen your mind and keep you alert. It also has the added advantage of enhancing your posture.
- Create a morning workout schedule.
- Have a specific exercise spot
- Exercise for at least 15 minutes daily.
Keep to Healthy Routines
The transition to working from home can take a toll on your mental health. So it’s important to establish healthy routines, so you don’t lapse into unhealthy behavior.
- Always ensure you have enough sleep. It’s tempting to keep working into the night but stick to your work schedule.
- Ensure to maintain healthy eating habits. With the fridge just a stone throw away, there’s the temptation to grab a snack whenever you feel hungry. Avoid excessive snacking and other bad eating habits.
- Ensure you are comfortable when working. It’s advisable to only work from your workspace.
Conclusively, working from home comes with a lot of flexibility. However having some ground rules would ensure you don’t lose yourself or valuable work time. The above strategies would help you have fun while ensuring productivity.