As governments and companies are preparing to combat the ongoing pandemic, more and more employees are advised to work from home.
If you have ever worked from home in your lifetime, then you must be on top of it. But there many like us, who have never experienced working from home situation, and may find it difficult. Especially, if you have a set routine of daily coffee runs with your colleagues in the morning, quick chat breaks or fighting over which Spotify playlist to play – these are a few of the office routines that keep us sane and productive. On the flip side, when working from home, you are likely to get distracted at home with personal burdens, while it can be dull at times.
Which is why we have compiled a list of tips to help you work from home effectively.
Set up a home office
Having a dedicated office space is vital when working from home. A space that helps you stay away from other distractions and let you stay in one spot without interrupting the flow. If you have a spare room, turn that into your study room /office space. If you are like me (no extra room), then I suggest moving in a desk, a comfortable chair in a clean and quiet spot.
Make sure you have a fast Wi-Fi network, a good webcam for the virtual client and office meetings, and one or two large monitors. Nothing is worse than working out of small laptop screens straining your eyes.
Plan and stick to your schedule
One of the major obstacles of working from home is procrastination. When at home, you suddenly start to notice the pending chores such as “let’s get the laundry done” or “clean up the pantry”. It is tempting to shift your focus on chores that are right in front of your eyes. In order to keep yourself focused, make sure you have planned out your week, and daily tasks with deadlines. This way you can keep up with your work tasks and get through all your work as you would in the office. Make sure you have on-going communication with your manager and loop them in with your daily tasks – just like how you would do at work.
Set boundaries
You might struggle to stay focused and on top of your tasks due to your surrounding such as kids, partner and pets while working from home. Try not to let this overwhelm you.
Instead, assertively but courteously let your partner and kids know that you need your space from a set time. You could also consider creating a small sign and leave it hanging at your door. A red colour could mean ‘Do Not Disturb’ and green could mean, they can come in. Communication is the key, so let them know that during your working hours, you are basically the same as being in a physical office, and therefore you need to be isolated.
Eat healthy and stay active
While working from home has perks such as going for walks during lunch breaks, fixing a fresh sandwich (saving money on eating out), there are also some downfalls. You are likely to munch on unhealthy snacks. Ensure you are snacking on healthy foods following healthy eating habits. Avoid stacking up junk foods in your pantry which will tempt you to snack on throughout the day. Working out regularly while working from home would also mean it will break your mundane routine and help stay alert. During the outbreak, we do not recommend going to the gym, however, you can easily go for a run around the block or create home workout routines to keep yourself active and very much in the routine.
Make sure you are taking quick breaks in between to stretch your legs to keep the blood flowing. Don’t forget to take your usual one-hour break like you do when at the office. During this hour, consider going for a quick walk to get some fresh air!
Get dressed like you’re going to your office
Most of our staff agree that getting up and getting dressed as you would usually for the office help you get in the zone of your typical working day. Personally, I love PJs and I love jumping in them straight after coming back from work. That’s usually the way to unwind, and we recommend you do the same. Dress up in your day-to-day work attire during business hours and then kick-back in your comfortable PJs which will work as a treat after a long day of work. It not only helps with productivity, but helps you feel good about yourself, and keeps you prepared for any impromptu virtual meetings.
We hope these tips help you stay productive, happy, and healthy during your time working from home.
