Work from Home — Productively!
With the lockdown, strict curfews and risk of venturing outside, a lot of us are currently Working from Home.
Work From Home is good, comfortable and helps you avoid the commute. There’s also the luxury of having fresh, hot meals at home. Work From Home also has it’s downsides, though. Lethargy, multiple distractions, prolonged lunch breaks, and more!
Here are 5 tips on how to stay productive during the lockdown!
1. Have a designated work space - Your bedroom is not the place you should sit and work at, because your body associates it with your ‘chill space’. You can clean your dining table and re-purpose it as an office desk. The couch in your living room also makes for a good work space.
2. Plan your day - Planning your day, goes a long way! Based on the number of hours you work at the office, make specific time slots during which you will work.
It’s equally important to pencil in designated break timings. For example, take a 15 minute break for every 2 hours of work. Catch up on the news real quick, interact with a family member, and get back to work when the break is over! Steer clear of social media and TV.
3. Prioritize your tasks - Work can get particularly complex when you’re handling multiple projects, filling in for co-workers, or when you have multiple deadlines. The best way to tackle this is to first make a list of all tasks for the day. Follow this by numbering them in order of importance or urgency. Next, tackle the tasks in this order.
You can also number your to-do-list as per the time taken to complete each task. Complete the shortest tasks first, and then move to the time-consuming ones.
4. Change out of your pyjamas! - Now this is an important one. Working in your sleep wear, or lounge wear, can make you lethargic and unproductive, because your body associates this clothing to rest and winding-down. Slipping into your most basic jeans and t-shirt can do the trick! No need to spend time on formal wear, and definitely no need to ruin well-ironed outfits.
5. Have designated timings for social media & streaming services - Schedule your Netflix/Prime Video/Hotstar time during meal times or, better, for the end of the day! Chalk in designated timings to check social media, and turn off notifications for personal accounts.
Each of us tend to expect important communication on Whatsapp, but also end up getting distracted. Mute all the groups (excluding work, of course) for either a week or a year, and mute your ‘special people’ for 8 hours! It may seem harsh, but it definitely helps.
If you fully commit to these tips, I’m sure you will ace Work From Home! Feel free to comment with your tips and tricks.
