Hands up if you frequently fretted about how the nature of your work didn’t require you to commute to the office daily? And, how you actually get a lot done when working from the comfort of your Egyptian cotton sheets. Now, the lockdown is finally upon us, and working from home is a reality for most. Are you finding it easy or difficult to cultivate the discipline required to work remotely? *Insert tense shoulders emoticon here*
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In-between endless trips to the fridge, your long to-do list tends to fall by the wayside. But, this is your chance to prove just how beneficial working from home is. And, just maybe, your company will make it a policy once the COVID-19 pandemic is over. With that said, working from home doesn’t mean giving up on your quest to find that ever-elusive work-life balance. It is still very important to have boundaries in place.
Below are some tips – as suggested by global experts – to help you be productive:
Get up and ready for work
One of the disadvantages of working from home is that the personal and professional lines can easily get blurred. The temptation to stay in your PJs or nightdress, all day, is also very high – something experts say can easily lead to depression. Take a shower and dress up – these actions will jog your brain into productive mode.
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Set up a home office
Unless you want to keep moving your to-do list to the next day, or work insanely long hours, find and convert a cosy spot in your home into your work space. Your brain needs to switch to work mode when it sees this designated spot. Develop rituals like enjoying breakfast in your office – think of it as “playing house”, except that you have actual daily deliverables. Equally important is to disconnect at the end of your work day, so you can continue with your personal life.
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Struggling with kids interrupting?
Children are happy to see their mom or dad at home all the time, and will interrupt you with incessant requests for food or attention. If they are old enough to understand, then let them know that (for instance) when there’s a blue sign outside mommy’s work space, it means she is busy, and that they can only enter when you remove it.
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Go outside
The beauty of working from home is the endless opportunities for inspiration that are available. You can attend a meeting remotely while taking an afternoon walk or sitting in the sun. In fact, working outdoors often proves how much of life we miss out on when sitting at our desks.
Communicate and be organised
The last thing you want is for your boss to think that you are lounging around, or for things to be lost in translation. Put them at ease by over-communicating, and joining virtual meetings on time.
