Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, work from home has become the new normal now. Some employees would be more than happy to work from home and avoid the office altogether. But others who are extrovert and love going to office regularly would feel a little challenging to adapt to this new system of working. Even those introverts who love working from home would get bored working inside the four walls of their houses for long.
So, how would you manage to work from home efficiently, considering this style of work is here to stay as long as the pandemic wreaks havoc in everyone’s lives?
Well, here are a few great tips to consider to manage a work-life balance while working from home
Create a routine, adhere to timings
Just because you are now working from home, it does not mean you can work at your own pace and convenience. If you do so, your productivity will drop, and you will find yourself slogging day and night to meet deadlines.
Just like how you used to log in and log out from the office, practise the same routine at work from home. If you have to log in to your system by 10 am, do not wake up at 9.45 am to do so just because you are working from home.
Follow the same routine as your earlier work life. Make sure you are done with your bath, breakfast and all personal chores before you log in by 10 am.Also, make sure, you finish all work before your log out time. Just think you have to board your office cab, and hence, you must finish your work on time. It will do the trick.
Why not dress up while you work from home
It’s easy to work in your pyjamas and shorts when you work from home. But this casualness may creep into your work as well. Dress up as you would for office, but maybe not that formally. If you feel you are dressed up, your subconscious mind will automatically give you the signal that it’s time to log in and get to work.
Besides, you would have video calls with your colleagues or boss. It would definitely look presentable if you are well-dressed even when you are working from home.
Have a separate room or corner for work from home
This is a cardinal rule to work efficiently from home. If you keep your work scattered all over your bed, you will spend half of the time struggling to find your mouse, phone or files. It would make you less productive.It’s advisable to have a separate room for work where you can focus and work efficiently without any distraction.
If it’s not possible to have a designated room for work, make sure you choose a corner in your bedroom or living room that allows you to focus and concentrate on your work. You can place a table and chair in the corner, and decorate your workspace the same way you would do at the office.
Create, adhere and make everyone follow the rules
When you work from home, people assume you are available at their beck and call. Your kid, spouse, parents or even pets would demand attention. This constant distraction could hamper your work and productivity.The ideal scenario in such a case is to create a rule in the house that you are unavailable for those specific work hours and inform everyone about it. You have to make sure you adhere to the rule yourself and do not distract yourself.
Once you do that, family members would respect your work timings and would wait for your work to get over to spend time with you. This way, you can have a work-life balance.
Have timely breaks
When you work from home, you may tend to eat your lunch or drink your tea or coffee while working at your laptop. Do not do so. Remember, how you use to take lunch or tea break while working in the office. Those lunch break used to be extended to gossip with besties in office.So, even when you are working from home, make sure to close down your laptop for 30 minutes for a lunch break. Use that break to eat lunch with your family. Same goes for the tea break.
You may also call your office bestie during that break and chat and gossip to keep the stress away. There’s no better mental health exercise than gossiping with a bestie.
No work post work from home
Just like how family members think you are available all the time while you work from home, colleagues and bosses would think as well. Hence, you have to set well-defined rules beforehand and make your office people aware of it.Remember to log out from all office applications once you complete your work or log in hours. Do not check your emails or messages once your work is done.
Gradually, your colleagues would understand you are best available during work hours and won’t reach out to you once you log out. Set aside post-work hours to spend time with family and loved ones.
Stick to your hobbies despite work from home
Working from home means you can give more hours to your hobbies. Working from home could leave you lethargic and tired, and hence, it is important to indulge in recreational activities post-work hours. Engage in board games with family members, read a book, walk in the building compound or terrace to rejuvenate yourself. This way, you’ll be prepared for fresh challenges at work the next day.
Keep yourself fit while you work from home
You might feel lazy when you work from home as a computer or phone is just a hand’s distance away. But remember, only a fit body can help you stay mentally healthy and remain alert and focus on your work.Check out a few home workout videos online and practise them. You can even take up yoga and meditation to stay active. Also, when you are working for long hours at home, remember to get up from the chair and stretch yourself to throw laziness out of the door.
It’s not that difficult to work effectively from home as long as you are disciplined and follow the rules and regulations that you set up for yourself. Just take work from home the same as work from the office, but from the comfort of your house.
