FEATURED

624 Views

About WFH (Work From Home): According to dictionary.com, the abbreviation WFH “is often used in digital communication to notify colleagues that someone is working from home on a given day or for a temporary period instead of regularly reporting to a physical place of business.” But thanks to the ongoing pandemic, ‘WFH’, or ‘Work From Home’ doesn’t look like a very temporary situation. While Work From Home isn’t a very new concept, it was always an option, in times of unfavourable situations, where a person couldn’t come to work, in these COVID-times today, it looks like the only way. In the beginning, the idea of not having to go to the office for work could have sounded like a relief to many people, but if this pandemic has taught us anything besides washing hands, it is that sitting locked at home isn’t really the dream life! It can be stressful, monotonous, and even unmanageable at times. Let’s assume we all know and understand the challenges of working from home and jump to some things that may help tackle them! So, here are some 7 Tips to Make Work from Home More Productive!

This article talks about these 7 Tips to Make Work from Home More Productive:

1. Get Ready for Work
2. Work out a Work Space
3. Plan your Day
4. Treat Office Hours Right
5. Organise your Work Tools
6. Hydrate and Feed Yourself
7. Don’t Miss Exercise

1) Get Ready for Work

Image Source: https://successatschool.org

One thing that so many of us have stopped doing in ‘WFH’ life is getting ready for work. Making that effort to pick an outfit and show up for work will only add more motivation to your weekdays and be more productive. Sitting behind the screens wearing a half-formal top and pyjamas not only makes us all lethargic but takes out the ‘job’ from work! We won’t recommend spending undue time on dressing up, but cleaning up and getting ready for work can be one way to boost productivity throughout the day!

2) Work out a Work Space

Image Source: https://homebusinessmag.com

Sitting on your sofa seat or a corner of your bed, with your back half-bent and laptop in your arms, does not only sound painful but it is! This doesn’t only count for bad posture and an unhealthy practice physically, but also takes away the energy out of your mental neurons, figuratively! Not having a nice, clean, and organised workspace can be detrimental to productivity. So, before you hit the next Monday, use an hour out of your weekend and set up a nice work-station or corner for yourself! Make sure to use a chair that supports your posture and a set-up where you can spend long hours without inconvenience. Pro Tip: Add greenery to your workspace, it tends to keep your mood uplifted, which keeps you productive!

3) Plan your Day

Image Source: https://in.pcmag.com

Do not ditch your office diary, just because you ain’t at the office! Whether you like to write it down or you have an app for it, do not skip the ‘morning to-do planner’. Working from home as it is can be a little confusing as keeping work separate from life can be tough in such an arrangement, if you skip planning your day, you might just find yourself in the middle of an avoidable mess. So whatever you do, make a list of things to do in the morning before you start. This little step will not only keep you on track but also the satisfaction of ticking things off of a list will be priceless!

4) Treat Office Hours Right

Image Source:https://www.almanac.com

This means two things – start on time and close on time too! Starting and ending your day right and on time is crucial to productivity in any work setting – WFH or not. If you do not start your day on time, you will invite undue stress and find yourself compensating in the time after office hours. Since with WFH, work is at home, it is very easy to forget the lines of time during the day. Treat work at home the way you’d treat work at the office. Follow a schedule, take proper breaks, assign deadlines to work, and respect office hours.

5) Organise your Work Tools

Image Source: https://in.pinterest.com

When you set up your workspace, organise it with the best of your strategic planning! Organise your work tools across your desk/workspace so you do not have to disrupt your workflow looking for something. Set up your work device, its charger, and accessories that you might need throughout the day. If most of your work happens on your device, also organise your work tools on your device! Segregate work phone apps into folders as per usage/type so you know exactly where to find what. This will prevent you from breaking into frustration, and keep you productive!

6) Hydrate and Feed Yourself

Image Source: https://www.nytimes.com

It is easy to bury yourself in work, and it is easier to do it from home. It’s not just your designated desk and chair that you might miss from your office while working from home – it is also the system! Categorise your time, like you’d have done at the office. Designate time for tea/coffee breaks, walks, food, and do not forget to hydrate! In today’s time when most of our work is embedded on a screen, our body needs nutritious (and timely) food, and our brain cells need hydration – more than ever! If you fail to eat and/or hydrate, you will lose your productivity and your body will break down sooner.

7) Don’t Miss Exercise

Image Source: https://familydoctor.org

Working from Home is taking away the little physical activity it took us to get to the office and back home, if you do not give your body a stretch from time to time, it will wear out easier. So, while work is worship, your body is also a temple! Take small designated breaks to take a walk, stretch and give yourself some attention. Apart from breaks during work, you can designate a few minutes to an hour to your day – solely for exercise. Choose the time of the day (morning/evening) when you feel most energetic to work out a little. This keeps your body up and running, prevents laziness and pushes your brain to be more productive!