How To Actually Be Productive While Working From Home

How To Actually Be Productive While Working From Home The rapid spread of the coronavirus has forced people to spend time at home. Companies in a bid to mitigate the spread of infections have mandated work from home for almost all of its employees. Almost all the work, be it front desk work to the management work is being done from home.However, the work expectation from you remains the same, only the place where you work is changed. That means there should be no drop in productivity. To ensure that you focus on work and be productive, here are some tips:

Select a Good Location

Finding a quiet location is a critical factor when you are working from home. Under normal circumstances that can be easy, but with the entire family locked down in the house it may be a difficult task. But try to find a comfortable spot where you can work from and leave that location when you sign off from work. It can be a kitchen table or your dining table or even a desk in the living room but dedicate that only to work and not for any other activities. Say a big No to working from your mattress or couch as that can affect sleep.

Check Your Lights Exposing oneself to natural light improves physical and mental health. But the same natural light can be troublesome when it falls on the computer screen as it disrupts reading. Constant glare can hurt the eyes and also cause a headache. If the window is not working in your favor, pull the curtains. If there is no sufficient light, use table lamps or other types of lamps to get proper lighting.

Set a Schedule If you have a family with kids or you are single, you should plan your schedule. Set a start time, lunch break, or break periods and end time so that you can track the amount of work you can do. It also helps when you have to work collaboratively with your team, they will know when to contact you and when not to. It also shows that you are working regular hours just like how you do in office.

Get Ready Many people are under the wrong impression that work from home means Flexi timings.

Yes, you can sit and work in your pajamas with TV and conversation with family but it should not be the case if you want to be productive. On the contrary, you should be following the same routine as your regular office day. Get dressed in office wear, have a healthy breakfast, and get work in the right mindset so that you can finish the task on hand.

Create a list of things to do before the end of the day so that you can increase the chances of finishing them as per schedule.

Communicate Effectively When you are working remotely, communication has to be crystal clear so that there is no misunderstanding. So instead of sending an email, you can use digital tools that mimic the in-person experience and send out a clear message. These video conferencing tools can help you share the screen, give and get feedback, and reduce the geographic distance between the team. It also helps in maintaining a relationship with your colleagues, direct reports, and managers.

Maintain Proper Posture

Are you wondering how sitting in the proper posture improves productivity? Some people prefer to work on the sofa or bed which means that the laptop is not at eye level. To compensate for that you will bend your back and neck which can lead to the wrong posture which affects body alignment and causes pains and aches. Experts from Wakefit suggest using back support pillows to prop yourself up, use an L-shaped table to bring the laptop to eye level or other such props so that you can ensure proper body alignment.

Take Short Breaks Take short breaks if you are working for long periods of time. Take a 10-minute break from work and walk around. That will not only improve blood circulation to the body but will help you get fresh ideas. You can also indulge in an informal chat with your co-workers as a substitute for workplace coffee conversations.

Sign-off from Work It is important to maintain a healthy work-life balance whether you are working remotely or from the office. Log off after completing the tasks and the number of designated hours. If you have a last-minute idea, write it down so that you can check back tomorrow. There is no need to be logged in 24/7 just because you are working from home. Long hours can affect your creativity and also cause sleep disorders.

Get Quality Sleep

In times of stress and anxiety, sleep takes a beating but to be productive at work during the day, quality sleep is essential. Few pointers to get quality sleep are:      

Maintain a regular sleep-wake cycle Block out noise, light or other disturbances Use the best mattress for sleep that offers comfort and support Set the bedroom at an optimal temperature Eat healthy food and avoid fried or sugary foods for dinner Limit consumption of caffeine or alcohol before bedtime

Work from home needs lots of discipline to be productive. The above-mentioned tips will not only help those who are doing it for the first time but also those who have ample experience. The key is to have created boundaries, stick to it, have a good work-life balance, and take care of physical and mental health.