The current coronavirus pandemic has brought the entire world to a standstill. Nations have locked down, businesses have resorted to survival strategies, and people are staying home to stay safe.
This COVID-19 pandemic has forced a lot of people around the world to work from home. While that may seem like good news at first, working remotely has its own set of disadvantages.
I don’t know about you, but staying at home for almost 3 months is definitely driving me insane. And, it is difficult to remain productive at work when the world is going through a crisis.
If you are facing problems working from home amind this COVID-19 crisis, then this post is for you. It is also useful for you if you have a remote workforce, as you can share this with your employees to help them with this change.
I am a writer who has been working from home for a long time; much before this coronavirus crisis. In this post, I have listed 7 of the most effective tips for working from home.
Let’s get started.
1. Create a Morning Routine That Energizes You
A good start to your day can make you more productive at work and energized throughout the day. Set one hour in the morning for yourself—your “me” time.
Use this time to do activities that bring you joy and energize you. This could be working out, meditating, dancing, listening to music, or anything that makes you happy.
You should also ensure that you eat a healthy breakfast and don’t just rely on coffee to keep you going.
Also, make it a habit to take a shower before you start working. This will not only refresh you but will add some structure to your day, which is lacking in our current work-from-home lifestyles.
Pro Tip: Put on some refreshing music, first thing in the morning, to give you a jolt of energy and get you up and running.
2. Have a Designated Workspace
One rule of working from home is to have a designated area for working, like a home office. It could be a spare room, living area, and even your balcony. Find a corner where you feel most comfortable working from and make it your own workspace.
Whatever you choose, do not work from your bedroom. And, if that can’t be avoided then at least bring in a chair and a table.
Why is it important to have a designated work area?
Because it keeps your personal life and your work life separate. It helps you set some boundaries like you don’t bring your work in the bedroom.
What if I don’t like sitting in one place, you ask?
Well, in that case, you can find a few places in your house where you can comfortably work and just move around.
3. Keep Yourself Hydrated
This is the most underrated of all the tips in this post. Everyone knows that they should drink lots of water and hardly anyone follows that.
People often forget to drink water when they’re busy with work and that leaves them feeling drowsy and tired.
And, what do you do when you feel sleepy or tired?
You drink coffee, of course!
While that may work for a while, it leaves you more drained and dehydrated after some time. It is a vicious cycle that you need to break.
Pro Tip: Download an app that sends you reminders to drink water throughout the day.
4. Take Frequent Breaks
According to a recent survey, employees that take lunch breaks are more productive and engaged than those who do not.
It may seem counterintuitive at first, but taking breaks actually gives you the time to recharge your energy reserves. This makes you more productive when you finally get back to work.
Just like reminders for drinking water, you can also set reminders to take a break.
The frequency and duration of breaks totally depend on you. Whenever you feel drained and unproductive, just take a break and do something that energizes you.
You can also follow the Pomodoro technique, which calls for a 5-minute break after every 25 minutes. It also requires that you take a 15-minute break every 2 hours.
But, if you think that the Pomodoro technique does not work for you, then create your own schedule and stick to it.
5. Set a Time Limit to End Your Work Day
When you work from home, it becomes rather difficult to draw a line between work hours and personal time.
To avoid this, you should set a maximum time limit, beyond which you will not work. You can also communicate this to your co-workers that you need your personal time. Make it clear that they should not call or email you after that time, unless it’s an emergency.
It also helps if you start your workday at a specific time. This sets the benchmark for how long you will work and also helps you finish your work around the same time each day.
6. Find the Time to Unwind and Relax
After a tiring workday, it is important to unwind and relax for some time before you go to bed. You should keep this time for your hobbies and interests.
Maybe you can watch a movie or read a book. If you like cooking, then you can cook a nice dinner for yourself. Basically, find something that you love and do it in the evenings.
If you are tired then take a long shower or draw yourself a relaxing bubble bath.
Want to know why that helps?
Well, keeping the things that you like for the evenings gives you something to look forward to. You will feel more motivated to work when you know that after you finish it you can reward yourself by doing something that you like.
7. Plan for the Next Day
Just like a morning routine is important, so is a sleep routine.
In these unprecedented times, we all feel a bit sad and anxious as we don’t know what will happen in the future. This can give you sleeping troubles.
One way to overcome this is to plan for the next day. While you may not know what will happen in the world, but you can definitely control your next day.
If you have a plan for what your day is going to be like, then you will not dread it or worry about it. So, just list down the things that you want to accomplish tomorrow and stop worrying about it.
Pro Tip: At the end of each day cross of items from your last night’s to-do list to feel a sense of accomplishment and control.
Final Thoughts
Working from home has its pros and cons. It gives you a lot of flexibility, but that also means that there’s a lack of structure and routine.
That is why it is important to have a plan for your day that ensures productivity at work and good health. Follow these tips and you will definitely see a change in how you feel about working from home.
Have some more tips for working from home that are keeping you sane? Share it with others in the comments section.
