Considering the current situation that we are going through and the hardships that everyone is facing, it seems almost impossible to physically go to any public space for leisure as well as work. But also keeping in mind the fact that businesses and ventures need to function even in such times for them to keep competing in the corporate world, they need to keep up the work in their respective fields. Work from Home is one such easy option to keep oneself out of physical contact and hence danger but simultaneously contribute and do their part in the company’s well-being to prove their existence in the market industry.
Work from Home refers to the assignments, meetings etc. accomplished by working from home instead of physically going to the workplace. Work from Home system can get work and meetings done provided one spends dedicated time and efforts on the required tasks to produce desired outputs.
Since home is a place where we’re always seeking comfort, it might get difficult at times to work with the same dedication and focus when we’re physically not in our work place. It is always preferable to lay down clear remote-work policies and training in advance, in times of crisis or other rapidly changing circumstances, this level of preparation may not be feasible. There are a few tips or hacks that one can take assistance of to ensure equally matched productivity and efficiency when it comes to work;
9 Tips to Make Work from Home (WFH) Professional
- Be punctual and ready for work
Set your early alarm by planning well in advance according to the daily tasks, take a bath and get fresh so your mind is in a focused zone, consume light but nutritious food to fuel up yourself for the day’s work and dress up neatly and wear nice clothes so your mind feels like you actually have to go the office which will increase your productivity! Plan your day well ahead in time while making yourself a good cup of coffee to keep yourself fresh throughout the hectic work schedule.
- Set up your home office
Having a space in the house purely for work can help you get into the right mindset. Working in leisure spaces like the bedroom or the couch can hamper productivity because the brain associates it with sleep or rest and resulting into less productivity and efficiency. Select a place with a chair and a desk and a clutter free environment as it helps in keeping your mind clear and focused. Set up work place somewhere where there is good network connection, peace of mind, ambient lighting conditions and silent space. Have clear guidelines for when to work and when to call it a day helps many employees maintain work-life balance. Automatic time-tracking applications help you feed in your schedule and give you insights into if you’re sticking to the routine or not with detailed reports. They can help you figure out the times of your maximum productivity.
- Create a Morning Routine
Start and end work on time to establish the boundary between work life and home life. Start fresh by planning, setting and seeing to it that you follow the work routine that starts in the morning. It might be choosing what to drink, eat, wear etc. Deciding to sit down in one place with calm focused mind to think about the things to work on in the following time. Take breaks too when it’s indeed break time. Stretch, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the brief time of doing nothing by staying idle for a while. Start your day by setting priorities for the day. Make your task list and stick to it.
- Align work schedules with family
Working from home all of a sudden can be major adjustment. Coordinate with your partner, children, or roommate on work schedules and designate chores equally.
- Communicate with your colleagues
In the absence of face-to-face interactions, it’s important everyone’s across on company decisions and to-do’s. Continue conversations and encourage usual feedback and discussion through email, instant messaging, and your company’s assigned meeting app.
- Setting ground rules with people around your workspace
Set ground rules with the people in your home or who share your space for when you work. Clearly lay down rules about what they should and should not do during that specific time of work. Also only because you’re at home and can let service people into the house or take care of pets doesn’t mean other family members should assume you will always be the one attending them. Simply take it all on by default because you’re home and the productivity may suffer. Set short term goals and time limits for each task. After you successfully complete each task, strike it off the list. This simple technique is both effective and fulfilling.
- Eat Healthy Meals & Snacks
Another work from home reality is that we have complete freedom to visit the kitchen. Hence when it’s time for lunch break, we are immediately pulled towards the usual snacks, such as biscuits, cookies etc. When we work in an office, we consume whatever is available in the cafeteria or whatever lunch we brought from home to the office. However, researches have shown that eating fruits and vegetables has a boosting property on overall productivity levels. You can also avoid buying unhealthy snacks altogether. With extra planning, you can consume more nutritional snacks. Reward yourself with a sweet snack on Friday after a successful and productive week.
- Listen to Music
Considering the nature of your work, it helps a lot in relieving stress by turning on some background music. Choose and pick moods for focus and productivity. Since you’re working at home, you don’t want it too loud or distracting and ensure you can quickly mute it to switch to a business call.
- End your day with a routine
Just the way one should start his/her work day with a routine, one should end their day with a routine as well. After the end of the specified days’ work, one should plan on ending the day with a brisk relaxing walk with some good music and consuming fresh air outside by taking necessary precautions and avoiding overcrowded places. Whatever you choose, do it consistently to mark the end of working hours.
Bottom Line
By following the above mentioned tips, one can ensure a streamline work from home schedule without loss of energy and focus while contributing highly towards the assigned work!
